Celebrating women and girls in STEM
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This article was published 09/03/2022 (450 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The world needs more women and girls in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us the importance of listening to a wide diversity of perspectives in scientific research. We have seen women in Winnipeg and around the world stepping up as leaders in health-care fields and in research into COVID-19 vaccines and treatments.
In my home riding of Winnipeg South, I am proud to see that women and girls are being encouraged to enter STEM fields. The faculties of science and engineering at the University of Manitoba have traditionally been male-dominated but young women are increasingly filling these classrooms each year.
We should celebrate trailblazing women and organizations in Winnipeg that pave the way for more woman and girls to enter STEM fields from a young age.
One organization is WISE Kid-Netic Energy, an outreach program affiliated with the University of Manitoba that aims to help underrepresented youth achieve success in STEM fields. WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) focuses on engaging girls and Indigenous youth from kindergarten to Grade 12 in science and engineering programs.
Since their founding in 1990, WISE Kid-Netic Energy has offered in-school workshops, both in-person and virtually, summer camps, extracurricular clubs and other special events. It reaches approximately 30,000 Manitoba students every year to encourage under-represented youth who are interested in science and engineering to follow their passions.
The founder of WISE Kid-Netic Energy is Nusraat Masrood, a leading woman in science and engineering in Winnipeg. Growing up, she experienced the barriers that many young women and girls face when pursuing careers in STEM fields. Despite these barriers, Nusraat went on to complete two degrees in computer engineering from the University of Manitoba, give a Ted Talk on the challenges of getting young women and girls to pursue careers in science, in addition to founding Wise.
In the week in which we celebrate International Women’s Day, let us all acknowledge the progress women have made in STEM fields. There is still lots of work that needs to be done, but we are making great strides toward achieving equal participation in STEM fields between men and women.
Terry Duguid
Winnipeg South constituency report
Terry Duguid is the Liberal MP for Winnipeg South.