Category: Advocacy

International Women’s Day

3/8/2021

By Maggie Fox

Maggie is a third year PhD student in Materials Science and Engineering at UCLA. She is the FY21 Undergraduate Mentoring Match Coordinator (UMMC).

March 8th marks International Women’s Day, a day that is based in celebrating the accomplishments of women around the world and focused on a “future free from stigma, stereotypes and violence; a future that’s sustainable, peaceful, with equal rights and opportunities for all” (UN Women). This year the theme for today is trying to achieve this vision in the wake of COVID-19 and how the leadership of women has driven positive change and progress all over the world.

Even though it might not feel like it, regardless of your age or background, through your leadership and experiences you have the opportunity to claim space at the table where decisions are made. Looking at the space around Women in STEM there are so many things that can be done. Personally, my GradSWE Section, along with other Women in STEM groups on UCLA’s campus are putting together a summit on Women in STEM (April 8-10) and different ways to break some of the barriers that we face. This has been a large undertaking for me and the others working on it, but someone once said to me that any step forward, no matter how small it might seem at first is better than no step forward at all. If you are looking for what your first step forward could be, here are some ideas:

Have “difficult” conversations with people. Raise awareness to racial and gender bias and discrimination.
Look to mentor other women in STEM. You can be a mentor/mentee at any stage in your career. There is always room for you to teach and there is always room for you to learn.
Spotlight other women in STEM and some of the work that they are doing. If there is something that you saw someone else do that interested you, share it with people that you know!

Have a great International Women’s Day!

0 Comments

A Message to Our Non-Black/Indigenous Community Members: What Can We Do to Support BIPOC in SWE and Beyond?

8/31/2020

0 Comments

Gabriela Basel

Gabriela is begining her second year of her PhD in Chemical Engineering at Stanford University. She is the FY21 Affinity Group Liaison on the Diversity and Inclusion Team

In the wake of a recent national spotlight on violence against Black members of our society, administrations of many universities have finally begun to grapple with discriminatory structures in academia. I believe we are at a point where most people in higher education have good intentions, recognize that women – particularly Black and indigenous women – are underrepresented and discriminated against in engineering, and want to help fix the issue. However, I’ve seen many people, from my graduate peers to faculty in my department, struggle with what they could personally be doing to help, especially during a time when much of education is still virtual. I have seen well meaning people turn to the few Black women in my department for advice and help with being better allies, but this places even more burden on the very people whose burden we claim to be trying to lift. As a non-BIPOC (Black or Indigenous Person of Color), I share here three methods I’ve found recently to help myself become a better ally, without burdening my Black friends.

1. Educate yourself on the issues and possible solutions

Because Black voices are so rarely amplified in mainstream media, we frequently falsely assume that there is no way for us to access the opinions of Black scholars and experts. This is when many of us turn to the few Black people we know in our life to educate us. It is important to practice what we preach on our diversity and inclusion statements: that women of color are not a monolith, and that we need to expose ourselves to a broad array of Black opinions to increase our understanding of the Black academic experience. One very simple way to begin this process is to follow Black members of your field on Twitter. Social media may seem like an unlikely place to learn, but it is a great way to expose yourself to a broad array of opinions and discover people, movements, and resources which you can later Google to learn more about. #BlackInSTEM, #BlackInEngineering, and #BlackInTheIvory are just a few common hashtags with associated Twitter accounts which can be used to find tweets, people, and even events highlighting Black members of your field. The University of Washington hosted a 2-day event highlighting Black administrators, faculty, and students in STEM, and I think it’s a great introduction to Black experiences and ideas in STEM academia. Video recordings are available here and here. Spend some time searching Google for Black feminist literature or Black female leaders in your field, in African American studies, in pedagogy, etc.

2. Advocate for and amplify your colleagues

As SWE’s recent survey revealed, virtual meetings exacerbate many problems in gender inequity, such as women being talked over, interrupted, or ignored in meetings. These problems are often even worse for women of color, especially Black women. We are often told as women to amplify each other during meetings by voicing our support or interrupting when our peers are being talked over or being interrupted themselves. This should go double for supporting our Black and/or indigenous colleagues. Be cognizant that you are listening intently whenever they speak and help ensure that others are doing the same. We can take similar steps to amplify our Black colleagues off-line. Many are turning to Black people in their departments to address issues of race or diversity, but our colleagues are typically engineers, just like us! We should be inviting Black members of our field to speak about their research, citing them in our own work, nominating them for research awards, etc. The website diversify chemistry has put together a database of hundreds of minority scientists and engineers to consult for this very purpose. The current website includes members of a broad array of departments, including chemical engineering and materials science, and its existence and success underscore the wealth of overlooked and underrepresented minorities in all fields.

3. Address issues facing our Black colleagues outside of the lab

While it is important to address the day-to-day issues affecting our Black and indigenous colleagues as academics, we also need to be working towards eradicating deep, systemic issues if we wish to call ourselves truly dynamic and consistent allies. Learn about your local BLM movement and how calls for defunding the police would affect your immediate community. Many, many universities have had op-eds published in recent months from Black students describing their negative interactions with university or local law enforcement. Regardless of your opinions on these issues, it is our duty as citizens and our training as engineers which should move us to educate ourselves on issues affecting our peers before holding said opinions.

It is not enough to ensure that our individual actions are not overtly racist. It is long past time that we recognize the racism inherent to higher education and that we, as graduate students, can do something about it. It has long been known that diversity is important for effective research, and, if we want to be the most effective engineers we can be, we need to address these problems. SWE recognizes that it has a part to play in dismantling racism – the Society of Women Engineers stands for all women.

0 Comments

Lessons from SWE Congressional Outreach Days: Guidelines for Successful Meetings on Capitol Hill

3/16/2020

0 Comments

Megan M. Parsons

Diversity & Inclusion Liaison

On March 11th and 12th, 2020, the Society of Women Engineers hosted Congressional Outreach Days in Washington, DC. This is an annual opportunity for SWE members to receive advocacy training and briefings on legislative affairs, followed by meetings with elected officials. This year’s theme was "Diversity and Inclusion Fuels Innovation in STEM". This was an opportunity for meetings with legislators to discuss the scientific and societal impacts of federal policies that empower underrepresented individuals to pursue STEM fields. Megan Parsons, our Diversity & Inclusion Liaison, attended SWE Congressional Outreach Days this year to advocate for public policy to strengthen the STEM workforce; increase research funding; and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in science and engineering. Below, Megan highlights guidelines and expectations for a successful meeting on Capitol Hill.

By meeting face-to-face with lawmakers, engineers can communicate their personal stories in support of legislation that benefits the scientific enterprise. By connecting your personal narrative to Congressional Outreach Day talking points, you can maximize your ability to effect change in public policy. To achieve this, it is important to understand how to prepare for your meetings with members of Congress and what to expect during and after the visit.

Preparing for a Congressional Visit

In advance of your meetings, you can begin by familiarizing yourself with policy positions of your congressional representatives. Be sure to understand SWE’s Congressional Outreach theme and talking points – key messages that the organization hopes to convey each year on Capitol Hill. Focus your meeting on the specific guidelines, funding, and legislation that are best supported by your personal story.
SWE may provide statistics or quantitative data sheets regarding the state of women and underrepresented populations in STEM. Familiarize yourself with these but understand that your personal experiences as a constituent are perhaps the most compelling aspect of your advocacy toolkit. Start with your personal narrative, then use the statistical data to answer questions or provide broader support for your claims.

Organize your thoughts prior to your meetings. Understand the legislative process to properly target your efforts. Do some basic research to track the status of legislation you hope to discuss. These visits are vital for building lasting relationships with your legislators, so completing these preliminary steps will allow you to approach these meetings with confidence.

Congressional Visit Expectations

Your visit may take place individually or in a group. If you will be meeting in a group, then work to coordinate your message and designate a primary speaker prior to your meeting. Also note that you may be meeting with your congressional representative directly or with a staffer. This meeting could take place in an office or a hallway, or even as the person you are meeting with walks to another meeting. It’s possible that your meeting will be rescheduled at the last minute, or an in-person meeting will become a conference call. Be accommodating throughout the scheduling process and flexible regarding meeting logistics.

The meeting will begin with introductions, followed by your personal narrative and how it relates to the talking points. If your member of Congress has already expressed support for the legislation you’re discussing, then be sure to thank him or her for the support. If there is a distinct opposition to the legislation you’re discussing, that’s fine, too! This is intended to be an ongoing conversation, and this meeting can serve as a foundation for a continuing relationship. Ultimately, you want to keep the meeting focused and succinct by making a clear ‘ask’.

You may be asked about nuanced ideas or something you do not know the answer to; in this case, you would simply follow-up post-meeting under the guidance of SWE HQ.

Prepare materials, like statistics or talking points, to leave with your member of Congress at the conclusion of the meeting.

Be sure to thank the person you met with for their time and, if desired, you can request a photo for social media.

Post-Visit Opportunities

After your congressional visit, be sure to send a thank-you email to everyone you met with. Take this opportunity to briefly reiterate what you discussed and make it clear that you are available to serve as a resource on these issues in the future. Follow-up with any requested information.

Reach out to elected officials to arrange a meeting or laboratory tour to further engage with policymakers on the valuable research being conducted within their districts.

Consider attending a local town hall to connect with policymakers, stay up-to-date with current priorities, and help prepare for your next meeting.

Follow and share content to amplify your message using the #SWEAdvocacy hashtag.

Finally, remember that SWE Congressional Outreach Day meetings are part of an ongoing dialogue with members of Congress to influence policy and effect positive change in STEM fields. Your narrative and continuing engagement is vital to federal support of diversity, equity, and inclusion in engineering.

SWE’s Congressional Outreach Days occur annually in March, with applications opening in January. To find out more about Congressional Outreach Days or learn about more ways in which you can get involved with public policy, check out the SWE Legislative Action Center or contact Megan Parsons at meganparsons@alumni.harvard.edu.

0 Comments

<<Previous

SWE News

International Women’s Day

A Message to Our Non-Black/Indigenous Community Members: What Can We Do to Support BIPOC in SWE and Beyond?

Gabriela Basel

Lessons from SWE Congressional Outreach Days: Guidelines for Successful Meetings on Capitol Hill

Megan M. Parsons

Archives

Categories