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[Subtitles available in English]
Did you know that the images in text books influence students’ marks? That having a majority of male professors makes female university students under-evaluate their activities? Or that the lack of stability and the way of understanding power are key factors for women giving up or coming to a standstill in their professional careers? Many people believe that gender discrimination is a question of misperceptions, but there is increasing evidence about the reality of the problem.
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science is held on February 11 to call for equal opportunities in STEM careers (science, technology, engineering and mathematical careers). The CNIO & The City educational project by the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), in collaboration with the Centre’s Women in Science Office (WISE office), has prepared a video which, using the videogame metaphor [subtitles available in English], seeks to raise awareness of the greater number of obstacles that women still face: as they develop their careers from school to the workplace, including the high school and university, they must face prejudices, bias and limitations that trap them between the ‘sticky floor’ and the ‘glass ceiling’.
Furthermore, to boost the dissemination of the video, the CNIO has created the #YoRompoTechoCristal [#IBreakGlassCeiling] social campaign, which encourages people to download the image of the campaign and share it on social networks along with the hashtag, to call for equal opportunities. The image can be downloaded from the video description or via this link.
“We must be aware of the fact that women still have less opportunities. It should be a reason to claim and fight to change things”, says Maria A. Blasco, CNIO Director. Furthermore, once inside this “opportunity”, promotion continues to be complicated for women: “The glass ceiling is a reality. Only 18% of women are at the helm of research centres in our country”, she confirms.
CNIO & The City is the CNIO’s educational and Science Outreach project, with the collaboration of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology – Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.