Gender Equality in Science: Accomplishments of Women Scientists

6 Ways to Encourage Girls in Science

Social factors that hinder girls from succeeding in science include gender stereotypes, unequal educational opportunities, and a lack of female role models. To encourage girls to explore and develop their scientific talents, it is important to provide them with scientific activities and educational toys from a young age. Additionally, instilling self-confidence in girls and emphasizing their value in society will contribute to a more progressive society. It is crucial to raise social awareness so that girls recognize their abilities and rights, take their capabilities seriously, and believe in their potential to excel in science education and achieve great things. By doing so, we can foster an increased interest in science among girls and create an environment filled with hope for their future success in the field.

1. Activities and Toys for Early Years: To encourage girls to develop their skills in science from an early age, it is beneficial to provide them with scientific activities and toys. Some fun ideas include allowing them to conduct experiments using chemistry sets or laboratory play sets, sparking their curiosity with science books and stories, helping them develop basic skills with robotics or programming toys, and gifting them a microscope for conducting research on natural sciences. These activities and toys will help girls feel more connected to the world of science.
2. Raising Awareness: It is crucial to ensure that girls and their parents recognize the value of their talents and reinforce the belief that they can pursue successful careers in science. It is important to encourage girls who show talent in science to explore this field. By doing so, we can inspire girls to overcome the negative impact of gender stereotypes and empower them to discover their full potential.
3. Equal Opportunities: Girls should have equal opportunities in science, just like in other subjects. This will have a positive impact on their future career choices and help raise awareness in society about gender equality.
4. Supportive Environment: When girls express an interest in working in science and engineering, they may feel like a minority and fear discrimination. To address this, it is important to create a supportive environment that instills in children the idea that science is not a field exclusive to boys. It should be emphasized that engaging in science does not discriminate based on gender.
5. The Importance of Role Models: Stories of successful scientists should be shared with children, regardless of their gender. By educating the younger generation about these role models, they will grow up with the awareness of successful women scientists in the field of science. This approach is a crucial step towards eliminating gender discrimination and fostering a more egalitarian society. Moreover, introducing female scientists as role models to girls will inspire and motivate them to strive for success.
6. Social Awareness: Alongside the education provided to children in institutions, a child's self-confidence and determination are primarily shaped by their family and social environment. As a result, the success of girls in science can only be achieved if society is properly informed about this matter. Municipalities can undertake projects to educate families about the role of women in science and emphasize how girls will lead us towards a promising future.

Achievements of Turkish Women Scientists

The Republic of Turkey has always recognized and celebrated the importance of women since its establishment. In our Republic, which was the first to grant women the right to vote, our accomplished scientists, who have gained international recognition through their achievements, continue to inspire us with their work.

Safiye Ali

Safiye Ali, Turkey's first female mathematics professor, is an excellent example in this regard. She was born in Istanbul in 1894 and became the first female medical doctor in the Republic of Turkey. Safiye Ali was also the first woman to teach medicine in Turkey. Alongside her medical career, she focused on maternal and child health and actively fought for Turkish women's right to vote by joining the feminist movement. Safiye Ali opened a medical practice in Istanbul and worked as a doctor. She also made significant contributions to child health by leading the ‘Milk Drop Nursery’, which provided sterile milk to children who were unable to breastfeed.

Türkan Saylan

Türkan Saylan, a scientist who has made significant contributions to the world of science as a medical doctor, academician, writer, and educator, is one of the founders of the ‘Association for Supporting Contemporary Life’. This association aims to support Atatürk's principles and revolutions in Turkey. Throughout her life, Saylan focused on leprosy and served as a consultant to the World Health Organization on leprosy until 2006. Additionally, she founded the ‘Turkish Leprosy Relief Association’ and was honored with the "International Gandhi Award" in India in 1986. Türkan Saylan's pioneering role in education and her lifelong support for girls' education make her worthy of commemoration on this special day.

Özlem Türeci

Özlem Türeci is a Turkish-German immunologist, entrepreneur, academician, scientist, and businessperson. She has gained recognition for her achievements during the pandemic. With extensive experience in cancer research, she played a pivotal role in the development of the COVID-19 vaccine. Currently, she serves as the chief medical officer and co-founder of the biotechnology company BioNTech. Alongside her scientific endeavors, she also continues to contribute to academia as a lecturer at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.

Canan Dağdeviren

Canan Dağdeviren, a Turkish physicist and academic, is a notable figure in her field, despite her young age. As an LG Career Development Professor in Media Arts and Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), she has made significant achievements. Dağdeviren became the first Turkish scientist to be a Junior Fellow at the Fellows Society at Harvard University. In February 2018, during the United Nations' International Day of Women and Girls in Science celebrations, she stated her aim to inspire young women pursuing careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields, in addition to her work in materials science and engineering.

Gizem Gümüşkaya

Gizem Gümüşkaya, a graduate of Istanbul Technical University's Faculty of Architecture, is an innovative synthetic biologist and architect who has achieved great success in a short period of time in her field. Focusing on synthetic morphogenesis in her research, Gümüşkaya completed her doctoral studies at Tufts University and Harvard University's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering. With a multidisciplinary approach that combines design and biology, she explores various topics ranging from small-scale biological robots to carbon-negative buildings. Gümüşkaya, along with her team of scientists, has developed nanorobots made from human cells. Her work has demonstrated the potential to repair damaged neural tissues and the ability of synthetic biological robots to self-assemble from seed-like structures.

Despite making a career change, Gümüşkaya's significant achievements in the field of science make her a role model for young girls passionate about science.

Women Scientists Who Made Their Mark in the History of Science

The world of science has witnessed many important discoveries and advancements throughout the centuries. Women scientists have made valuable contributions to science in their respective fields. For example, Marie Curie was the first woman scientist to win two Nobel Prizes for her work on radioactivity. Rosalind Franklin played a significant role in the discovery of the structure of DNA. Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to receive a medical degree, advocated for women's education in medicine. Rita Levi-Montalcini, a Nobel laureate, made groundbreaking discoveries in nerve growth factor. Barbara McClintock, considered one of the most prominent cytogeneticists, discovered transposons in plants. Vera Rubin, an American astronomer, pioneered studies on the rotational speeds of galaxies and discovered the presence of dark matter in the universe. Maria Goeppert Mayer, awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for her nuclear shell model, became the second woman to receive this prestigious honor after Marie Curie.

There are countless other women scientists who have played a key role in advancing science and made significant contributions to humanity. As these examples demonstrate, it is unfair to overlook women scientists with a gender-biased approach in science.

The accomplishments of women in science have raised awareness and continue to raise awareness about gender equality and the need for greater representation of women in the scientific community.

Women and Girls in Science: The Stars of the Future

The International Day of Women and Girls in Science, celebrated on February 11th, is an important day to recognize and celebrate the presence and achievements of women and girls in science and to fight against gender inequality. This special day continues to encourage women and girls to have a greater presence in the field of science. In the future, more women scientists and girls will make significant contributions to the world of science, making our world a more livable place.