See the IIM-CSIC programme in Vigo
Santiago de Compostela/Vigo, Wednesday, 8 February 2023. The Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) is holding an extensive programme of activities in Galicia, in line with initiatives promoted in other autonomous communities, to commemorate “11F. International Day of Women and Girls in Science”.
Initiatives of the Institute of Marine Research (IIM)
The IIM joins this commemoration with a programme of activities aimed at raising awareness of the role of women in marine research, making invisible role models visible and creating new current female references to bring science closer to society.
The programme began yesterday, 7 February, with the campaign “Women of science in your neighbourhood” on bus shelters in different areas of Vigo. It features 12 women researchers, technicians and predoctoral researchers from the institute (Marta, Mariña, Carolina, Marina, Clara, María, Laura, Raquel, Begoña and Ester). In their portraits, the protagonists explain their work at the institute and also aspects of their daily lives, with the aim of breaking stereotypes and reinforcing the idea that women who work in science are neighbours of the city with hobbies, friendships, families and diverse interests like anyone else. Thirty portraits will be displayed until 27 February.
Organised by the IIM’s UCC+I with the collaboration of Vigo City Council, it is an adaptation of the award-winning initiative of the University of Zaragoza “I am a scientist. I live in your neighbourhood”.
The IIM programme will continue on Saturday, 11 February, with “Having a drink with #WomenInScience”, an informal meeting with women who work at the IIM. The #WomenOfIIM will give short 10-minute talks about what they do in their daily work for marine science, while attendees enjoy a free drink and courtesy snacks.
The event will be hosted by the IIM Deputy Director for Scientific Strategy and Transfer, Marta López Cabo, and will feature researchers, predoctoral researchers and technicians from IIM-CSIC.
It will take place at Café De Catro a Catro (R/ de Girona, 16, Vigo) at 18:30. Free admission until full capacity is reached.
Also on 11 February itself, Faro de Vigo will publish “Lanterns of Science”. In this biographical profile, Clara Mendoza, predoctoral researcher at the IIM, in collaboration with Jaime Amaro Blanco, from the IIM UCC+I, will explore the biography of an outstanding female scientist who has been made invisible throughout history: María Wonenburger. The article will include illustrations by artist Laura Romero.
This article is the second edition of the “Lanterns of Science” campaign, whose first edition was published on 11 February 2022 in Faro de Vigo, written by Marta López Mozos and focused on Eunice N. Foote, pioneer of the climate crisis.
Initiatives of the CSIC Delegation in Galicia
The UCC of the CSIC Delegation in Galicia has produced three videos to give visibility to women with different profiles who work in CSIC institutes in the region.
They feature Nerea Alvite, a student in the Master’s Degree in Marine Biology at the University of A Coruña who is beginning her research career through an internship at the A Coruña Oceanographic Centre of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO); Carmen Santos, administration and services staff at the Institute of Marine Research (IIM); and Daniela Reggio, researcher at the Institute of Heritage Sciences (INCIPIT), who is carrying out a stay at the Institute of Physics of the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
The videos will be available from Friday, 10 February, on the UCC YouTube channel.
MBG initiatives
This week, female scientific and technical staff from the MBG are offering guided visits to the centre’s facilities for students, including talks and workshops on legumes, maize, brassicas and pines. Today they will welcome students from CEE Príncipe Felipe (Pontevedra) and on Friday, 10 February, from CEIP San Bieito de Lérez (Pontevedra).
Next week, from 13 to 16 February, researchers and technicians from different research groups will visit schools in the province of Pontevedra to present their work to pupils from CEIP Manuel Vidal Portela, Vilaverde and Cabanas (Pontevedra), Mosteiro de Meis (Meis) and Manuel Padrín Truiteiro (Soutomaior), with workshops, presentations and Kahoot quizzes.
These activities are supported by the Deputación de Pontevedra.
IEGPS initiatives
On its Twitter, IEGPS is carrying out several proposals to highlight the role of women in science. These include “Women in the Seminario de Estudos Galegos”, a series of threads published every Friday to highlight the presence of women in the historic Seminar in different roles, including members, authors and patrons.
On 23 February, the second audiovisual piece of “CSIC Pills from the Seminario de Estudos Galegos”, entitled “Women in the SEG”, is scheduled to be published. The initiative, in collaboration with the UCC of the CSIC Delegation in Galicia, aims to present the heritage of the Seminar preserved at the IEGPS. The piece will also be available on the IEGPS website.
The video “In feminine: women researchers at the IEGPS” will also be released on Friday, 10 February, to show the work currently carried out by women at the IEGPS. It will be available on the IEGPS website.
Within the third edition of the IEGPS outreach webinar series “Medieval lives in Galicia”, a specific 11F lecture will be held on 15 February by Marta Cendón Fernández, from the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), entitled “When the end approaches: the image of women in late-medieval Galician art”. It will take place at 12:00 through CONECTA CSIC, with prior registration through the following form.
In addition, on 23 February two workshops entitled “Designing our family coat of arms” will be held at CEIP Plurilingüe Quiroga Palacios for 4th-year Primary pupils.
INCIPIT initiatives
INCIPIT is developing activities in which women researchers explain their projects, their way of working and the conditions and challenges of a research career for women. The main idea is to send a positive, motivating message that helps girls move beyond stereotypes about archaeology, heritage research and research in general.
Within “Faro da Escola”, Sirio Canos Donay and Andrea Rodríguez Antón will give the talk “11F: Science is also a matter for women” on 11 February for pupils aged 6 to 12.
Researchers and technicians are also giving talks these days in several schools, including CEIP Castro Baxoi, CPI Eusebio da Guarda, CEIP Apóstolo Santiago, IES Xelmírez II and CEIP Jose María Lage.
INCIPIT will also present the video “From girls to researchers, science by women at INCIPIT”, available on INCIPIT social networks (Facebook, Twitter). It brings together the experiences of different women researchers and asks the same questions to girls, generating a reflection on the path and future of science by women.
IEO Oceanographic Centres in Galicia
Women scientists and technicians from the A Coruña Oceanographic Centre are giving the talk “Discovering the sea” this week and next at schools in A Coruña and Oleiros.
Scientists and technicians from the Vigo Oceanographic Centre are also giving talks on their work in science at schools, both in person and online. The topics range from oceanography and marine science to the role of women in research.
In addition, from the Vigo Oceanographic Centre, two researchers, Victoria Besada and Isabel Riveiro, will take part in an event promoted by the IEO in Lorca (Murcia) with the talk “Women and oceanography” and a gyotaku workshop. On Friday, 10 February, staff will also gather at the centre entrance to demand equality in science.