iGEM Community

About

Many women have been successful in breaking the stereotypes that bind them to societal norms, influencing the education they receive or the careers they pursue in STEM. However, gender disparity in STEM fields has not been eradicated. According to a recent report by UNESCO ↗, only 35% of STEM students in higher education are women and less than 3% of women join STEM industries. Another prominent study by the Institute of Statistics at UNESCO ↗ showed that 33% of researchers worldwide are women and only a mere 2% of capital is directed towards start-ups founded by women. Identifying the causes of these gaps is crucial in acheiving a world in which women can pursue their dreams and careers freely.

We aim to inspire and raise awareness for women and young girls to pursue STEM careers – both in industry and academia. As a part of the event at the iGEM 2022 Grand Jamboree in Paris, we hosted a “Women in SynBio Symposium” to celebrate and highlight women in synthetic biology who are a major source of inspiration for the coming generations.

Panel discussions and workshops

Women of iGEM: These talks aims to shed light on the lives of women alumni of iGEM who will share their stories, successes, and hardships since their participation in iGEM. A series of talks that aims to highlight their accomplishments and achievements in STEM and iGEM’s contribution to their journey. * Factors Leading to Under-representation of Women in STEM: This workshop aims to explore the participants' opinions and viewpoints as they study factors that impact women in STEM fields, helping us to build a comprehensive picture of the situation. * Creating Change: This talk series aims to highlight organizations and initiatives that support girls and women in STEM, by creating programs to help them thrive and excel in academia and industry. * Guide to Entrepreneurship: A workshop where participants can ask questions about entrepreneurship, how to start a career in entrepreneurship, discuss challenges they might face, troubleshoot case scenarios, and gain knowledge on how to overcome challenges.

Networking and workshops

Networking opportunities to connect women with other women, men, and non-binary people who support women’s rights and are dedicated to closing the gender gap in STEM fields. Participants of the Symposium got the chance to interact with our phenomenal speakers and make new connections.