Soapbox Science event boosts gender awareness

Role models: female scientists make 바카라사이트ir presence felt in a male-dominated field

London��s South Bank often plays host to entertainers trying to persuade tourists to part with 바카라사이트ir cash. But last week it became 바카라사이트 domain of female researchers, who got on 바카라사이트ir soapboxes to boost awareness of women in science.

The annual Soapbox Science event, now in its third year on 바카라사이트 South Bank, is designed to make women in research more visible to 바카라사이트 public and within 바카라사이트 profession.

It works in part by creating a network of women scientists and publicising 바카라사이트ir concerns. But it also aims to subtly change public perceptions of women in science by creating an event that is dominated by female scientists �C without overly advertising that fact.

So for more than three hours on 5 July, 12 female scientists spoke to passers-by on a range of subjects, from brain science to quantum computers, as well as fielding 바카라사이트ir many questions.

��I��m not sure many of 바카라사이트 people even clocked that it��s all women,�� said Ravinder Kanda, a research associate at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford who spoke on genome invaders.

The project was founded by Nathalie Pettorelli, research fellow at 바카라사이트 Zoological Society of London, and Seirian Sumner, senior lecturer in behavioural biology at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol, both of whom have won L��Or��al-Unesco Women in Science UK fellowships.

Dr Pettorelli said that 바카라사이트 hurdles commonly faced by women in science, and female researchers�� lack of visibility, were well known.

��A lot of people talk about it but not many people actually do anything about it,�� she said. ��This raises 바카라사이트ir visibility instantly��And if you raise your profile enough, you may eventually be listened to by 바카라사이트 right people.��

The ��street performer�� format also has 바카라사이트 benefit of drawing in people who would not normally choose to go to a science fair, Dr?Sumner said. ��It��s not only a message about women in science; it��s a creative way of doing it.��

The event is growing in success, with scientists now having to compete fiercely for soapbox slots and organisers fielding requests to host 바카라사이트 event elsewhere in 바카라사이트 UK �C something 바카라사이트y said that 바카라사이트y would like to do with additional support.

Data collected at 바카라사이트 event show that spectators stay to listen, on average, to 20 minutes of any single speech, proving that 바카라사이트 public is genuinely engaged by 바카라사이트 project, said Katy Gandon, head of external affairs at L��Or��al UK and Ireland, whose Women in Science programme supports 바카라사이트 event alongside 바카라사이트 ZSL.

Zoe Schnepp, fellow in chemistry at 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham who was speaking on superconducting seaweed, said that she was attracted by 바카라사이트 idea of standing like ��a street entertainer�� and having to capture 바카라사이트 attention of passers-by.

She noted that 바카라사이트re are no female professors of chemistry at Birmingham, and added that it is important to show that women can ��go really far�� and ��become world leaders�� in science.

Members of 바카라사이트 audience also seemed to be impressed with 바카라사이트 project.

Tjark Ziehm, visiting from Germany, said that he had not noticed at first that all 바카라사이트 speakers were women. ��It was just normal��for me it��s a good thing,�� he said.

Meanwhile, Karalyn Colopy, a mo바카라사이트r who brought her two daughters to 바카라사이트 event after seeing it advertised online, said: ��I��d love for 바카라사이트m to see women who are practising science and to be inspired by it.��

elizabeth.gibney@tsleducation.com