An installation at the Diefenbaker Canada Centre at USask
The exhibition is designed to engage, advance, inspire, and support young women in STEM and increase the profile and participation of women in STEM careers. (Photo: Submitted)

USask’s Diefenbaker Canada Centre celebrates achievements of women in STEM

A new exhibition at the University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) Diefenbaker Canada Centre (DCC) will showcase the crucial role of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Iron Willed: Women in STEM, developed by Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation, will feature stories of women who have made important contributions advancing science, technology and innovation. It includes inspirational figures such as Donna Strickland, Jocelyn Bell Burnell, and Melissa Sariffodeen.

“Worldwide, women make up only 28.4 per cent of scientific researchers,” said President and CEO of Ingenium, Christina Tessier. “Through the Women in STEM initiative and travelling display, Ingenium hopes to make women in STEM more visible, to promote careers for women in STEM, and to celebrate achievements and advocates.” 

The exhibition is designed to engage, advance, inspire, and support young women in STEM and increase the profile and participation of women in STEM careers. By profiling women global leaders, the travelling display will also acknowledge the structural and cultural barriers that contribute to gender biases and the underrepresentation of women in STEM.

“Throughout history, there are many examples of women across sectors—like Violet McNaughton, women’s suffrage advocate, and Ellen Fairclough, Canada’s first female federal minister—who have had to confront bias, challenge injustices, and advocate for change,” said DCC Director Alastair MacFadden. “This exhibit celebrates groundbreaking STEM discoveries made by women, while confronting obstacles that continue to affect the participation, inclusion and recognition of women in STEM fields.”

Iron Willed: Women in STEM is set to open on June 3 and will run through August 28, 2022. For more information, please visit: https://diefenbaker.usask.ca

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