The Canary Islands Government claims the role of "mothers of science" - La Provincia

"At school they always told us about the parents of science. Science had no mother despite the fact that throughout history there have always been women who have made contributions to the scientific and technological field, without which, later developments signed by men would not have been possible. " This was stated yesterday by the Minister of Economy, Knowledge and Employment of Canary Government, Elena Máñez, during the presentation of the program of activities Woman and girl in science, organized through the Canary Islands Agency for Research, Innovation and Information Society (Aciisi) until February 16, on the occasion of the celebration, today, of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

The activities, which will be carried out in all the islands of the Archipelago, except in La Graciosa - "where we expect to arrive next year" - aims to contribute to reducing the gender gap in the field of knowledge, science and technology. As an example, Máñez echoed Unesco's data that quantify in just 30% the number of women in the world who are dedicated to science and technology. "If we want to move forward with the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations, we have to incorporate all possible talents, and women are more than half of the population. We cannot move forward in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals if we do not incorporate the women in all areas. "

Universities

Regarding the Islands, the Minister indicated that, although much progress has been made in the incorporation of women in the field of higher education - "in the two Canarian universities the majority of people enrolled are women, 57% in the ULL and 60.2% in the ULPGC "-, this percentage is reduced to less than 30% in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

"This has to do with gender roles, the socialization processes of boys and girls, in which we still end up reproducing certain orientations that take women to careers more oriented to care, to humanistic careers, and children to scientific careers, "said Elena Máñez, putting as an example the toy catalogs" in which we continue to reproduce those gender roles. "

Within this framework, the Minister of Economy, Knowledge and Employment of the Canary Islands Government valued the program of activities Woman and girl in science organized by the Aciisi. Among them, the documentary stands out Women and science. An innovative vision that, through interviews with researchers Albérica García, Beatriz González López-Valcárcel, Begoña Ortiz Leston, Beatriz Tovar de la Fe, Patricia Chinchilla, Casiana Muñoz, Pilar Montañés, Andrea Rodríguez, Josefina Rosich, Patricia Fernández Izquierdo, Mary Barreto and Teresa Giráldez, analyze the role of the scientists and gives visibility to their important contribution in the R + D + i (research, development and innovation) of the Canary Islands. "Science has a mother and we must put it black on white so that we do not forget them and be a reference that inspires the new generations of women."

Elena Máñez recalled the figure of the professor of Applied Physics Catalina Ruiz Pérez, who died recently, the only woman with the Canary Islands Research Prize. As a tribute, the counselor announced the implementation, through the Canary Islands Agency of Research (Aciisi), of a program of postdoctoral contracts that will bear his name, within the framework of new grants for the training of research staff in the community autonomous.

The program Woman and girl in science covers workshops and exhibitions in educational centers and other entities, such as the facilities of Left well of the Technological Institute of the Canary Islands (ITC) and the Elder Museum of Science and Technology in Gran Canaria or the Benahoarita Museum of Los Llanos de Aridane in La Palma. All interested parties can watch the documentary and check the dates, venues and schedules of the activities on the web Cienciacanaria.es. "We must try to encourage and promote scientific vocations among girls and women, make visible the importance of R & D & I and technology in the social development model we want for our land, and that we also have equality with the talent of women".