Women’s Team

The women’s team seeks to foster a community of women and women-identifying scientists at the university wherein women gather to address gender issues in STEM and share experiences in both encountering and overcoming obstacles. The goals of the 2018-2019 women’s team are to hold monthly book clubs focused on discussing scholarly, personal and professional accounts of challenges women encounter while pursuing higher education and a career in STEM. We plan to hold a Women’s Summit in Spring 2019 with participation of graduate students, post-docs and faculty members from the university in addition to professionals from the broader Chicagoland community.


Contents

Welcome

We welcome everyone to the GRIT Women’s Team, regardless of identity. We want to create an inclusive space and are always welcome to feedback and suggestions. We hope to see you at our meetings or events and please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or concerns!


Team Leads

Please feel free to contact the current team leads for more information:

  • Emily Hillan (she/her)- ehillan@uchicago.edu

Events

The Women’s team organizes a monthly book club during which we read articles and short stories primarily focused on the changing landscape of women in STEM fields. We have also expanded our book club boundaries to include opinion pieces, stories, and poems that highlight different aspects of modern day feminism. In addition to book clubs, we have organized a Women in STEM conference, invited speakers, and plan to host brunch and networking events with professors at UChicago. We are also planning baking and crafts nights to build community during the pandemic. 


How to be a Good Ally

Men in STEM can act as powerful voices on behalf of women by highlighting female perspectives and contributions. For example, men and male-identifying individuals can ensure there are enough invited female-identifying speakers or panelists at a given event, reflect on the privileges given to men in STEM, and actively acknowledge and discuss these privileges with others. Another way to be a good ally is to listen to and affirm the experiences of women in STEM. For example, in workplace settings, women can be labeled as bossy or hostile for behaviours that are perceived as leadership in male-identifying individuals. Moreover, women can be ignored and tend to be spoken over during discussions. Recognizing and working towards actively dismantling these issues are great ways to show allyship! 

For more information on effective allyship for women in STEM, check out these helpful resources: 

https://www.awis.org/wp-content/uploads/Be-an-Ally-AWIS.pdf

https://www.insightintodiversity.com/stem-fields-need-male-allies-to-advocate-for-greater-gender-equity/