Aug 31

Aug 31 On the road to Paris: Women in SynBio Symposium

by Nemira Zilinskaite, Foteini Papadaki and Harshini Davuluri
on behalf of the WiSTEM Initiative by the iGEM Community

The inclusivity of women and young girls has seen its dawn in the era of Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM). Coming from varied countries, cultures, and languages, many women have been successful in breaking the stereotypes that bound them to the societal norms that influenced the quality of education they receive or the STEM careers they pursue.

Despite these gains, women remain vastly underrepresented in STEM fields. According to a recent report by UNESCO, only 35% of STEM students in higher education are women and less than 3% of women join the STEM industries. Another study by the UNESCO Institute of Statistics indicated that only 33% of researchers worldwide are women and only a mere 2% of capital is directed towards start-ups founded by women.

At the Women in STEM (WiSTEM) Initiative by the iGEM Community, we aim to inspire and raise awareness for women and young girls to pursue STEM careers – both in industry and academia. As a part of this year’s event at the iGEM 2022 Grand Jamboree in Paris, we will be hosting a “Women in SynBio Symposium” to celebrate and highlight women in synthetic biology who are a major source of inspiration for the coming generations.

Join the Women in SynBio Symposium

October 26-27. Limited seats available.

SIGN UP!

The Women in SynBio Symposium will be held on the 26th and 27th of October and will feature:

Talks by women alumni of iGEM who will share their stories, challenges, and successes as they pursue STEM careers

Talks by members of the iGEM Community and non-iGEM affiliates who will share their knowledge and expertise on the importance of addressing the gender gap in STEM fields and initiatives and programs (from past and future) to increase women's participation and representation in STEM

Workshop by women entrepreneurs who will share their experience and advice for starting a career as an entrepreneur and overcoming the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs

Workshop by WiSTEM advocates and other professionals on how to respond to discrimination, and possible approaches for gathering support and improving educational and workplace environments

Networking opportunities to connect women with other women, men, and non-binary persons who support women’s rights and are dedicated to closing the gender gap in STEM fields.

The Women in SynBio Symposium at the iGEM 2022 Grand Jamboree promises to be an exciting event that will encourage, inspire, and advance the careers of women in the field of synthetic biology.

We have a limited number of spots open for members of the iGEM 2022 teams, and ask that you register your interest in the Women in SynBio Symposium by filling out this short survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/WiSTEMSymposium2022

Stay tuned for more details about the Women in SynBio Symposium and how to obtain tickets. We look forward to seeing you there!

Nemira Zilinskaite

Nemira Zilinskaite was part of the iGEM Nottingham iGEM team in 2018 as a team member. In 2019, she joined iGEM Community as part of Science Communication Steering Group. She then became an iGEM Ambassador for Europe in 2020. Same year, Nemira founded WiSTEM initiative aimed at increasing representation of women in STEM and SynBio. Currently, she is a Coordinator for iGEM Community responsible for leadership training and overseeing over 150 members together with other coordinators. Nemira is also a PhD candidate at the University of Cambridge.