Gender equality
We believe that astronomy and space science are useful in order to improve girls' and young girls' self-perception of science, freeing them from stereotypes and restoring freedom of choice and self-determination regarding knowledge, study and work in STEM disciplines. In addition, we work to foster and raise awareness about the causes and effects of these stereotypes in professional settings.
Our activities explicitly draw attention to the gender disparities found in the world of scientific research and the barriers faced by non-male genders, including unconscious stereotypes that permeate our society.
Since its establishment in 2015, and increasingly in recent years, the “International Day of Womens and Girls in Science,” called by the United Nations and celebrated bevery year on February 11, sees a large number of requests in terms of events (organization and/or participation). These activities are also part of the global “Women and Girls in Astronomy” project of the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach.
Some examples of such activities that the UNIVERS@LL group has conducted over the years are given below.
Initiatives for the International Day of Women and Girls in Science
Over the years, members of the UNIVERS@LL group have conceived, collaborated, and promoted numerous initiatives to boost access to STEM subjects without barriers and gender discrimination. For the year 2024, the following initiatives have been implemented in the frame of the Unesco International Day of Womens and Girls in Science.
Collaborations with Lorenzo Gasparrini
Lorenzo Gasparrini, feminist philosopher and educator, was interviewed by the team on the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2022. The chat was published in the form of two articles in the pages of EduINAF (Non possiamo essere tutte Marie Curie. E va bene lo stesso; Equità di genere: dalle parole alle azioni) and three videos (Donne nella scienza: Le donne nelle discipline #STEM - parte 1, parte 2, parte 3).
In addition, in March 2023, a course “Gender Equality: from Words to Actions” was held by Gasparrini at the Cagliari Astronomical Observatory. The event was narrated by a video report published in the institution's newspaper, Media INAF.
Astronomy at School - Women in Science
The project “Astronomy at School - Women in Science” was born in 2021 in INAF - Palermo Astronomical Observatory as part of the activities for the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (Feb. 11). The purpose is to disseminate astronomical culture to all secondary school students.
The initiative consists of several meetings held in schools and at INAF headquarters, including seminars, workshops, telescope observations, etc. Classes are asked to create products (such as videos, posters, games, presentations, etc) which are then selected and awarded by a panel of judges during the concluding event (live coverage of the 2024 edition at this link).
The project was presented at the 20th edition of the “Filippo Basile 2022 Prize”, receiving a Report of Excellence.
In this context, on the occasion of the Sharper 2021 project, the pilot episode of the podcast “Astronomy for All” was released.
The 2023 logo of the project “Astronomy in School - Women in Science”
Podcast "Martina Tremenda nello spazio" (“Martina Tremenda in Space”)
“Martina Tremenda in Space” is the first INAF podcast aimed at children and girls, produced in collaboration with Realtà Debora Mancini and with contributions from the INAF Stories Group. The goal is to address the issue of unequal access, conditions, and representation of the female gender in science through the creation of resources that offer children and girls female role models in their possible journey to discover astronomy. The first 6 episodes were released in 2022 on major audio platforms and on a dedicated website.
Initiatives for INAF’s personnel
The group's efforts are not only directed externally, but they also target INAF people and workplaces.
In this context, a collaboration is ongoing with the Committee for Equal Opportunities and Wellbeing (CUG) to draw up a list of possible proposals for training, including non-frontal training, on the topic of gender equality in the workplaces.
In addition, support was given to the implementation of the Special session “All the colours of the spectrum: enhancing gender balance and LGBTQIA+ Inclusivity in Astronomy” at the 2023 European Astronomical Society annual congress in Krakow, Poland.