Saturday February 11 was the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. In the framework of this special day, we invite the women scientists at Techint Engineering & Construction to share their experiences working at the company, and tell us why they believe that having women working in the different areas of science is so important.

The International Day of Women and Girls in Science is an annual observance adopted by the United Nations General Assembly and implemented by UNESCO and UN-Women to promote the full and equal access and participation of women in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). It’s been celebrated every February 11 for the past eight years as a way of recognizing the vital role played by women in the scientific and technological community. The idea is to draw attention to the importance of equality and the empowerment of women and girls, not only in terms of their contribution to world economic growth, but also, more specifically, in driving development in STEM areas.

At Techint E&C, we pursue the objective of supporting women scientists and promoting the access of women and girls to education, training and research. Here, we’ve pulled together some reflections on the subject shared by our employees:

What do you think is being commemorated by the International Day of Women and Girls in Science?

Rosa Tinaco: Honestly, I never knew there was actual international day dedicated to celebrating our contribution to science, which obviously I’m very much in favor of! I think that owning our space, for women and girls, in a context of equal opportunities, is the objective of the commemoration day, and after googling it, I see it’s a UN initiative. I believe that empowering women and girls to participate in all areas, no matter their age—hence the inclusion of girls—is the base for strengthening our role in society.

Victoria Badano: I kknow that February 11 is the day when we commemorate the international Day of Women and Girls in Science, and that this was an initiative driven by the UN which seeks to promote the access and participation of women in science, in STEM areas, which is short for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

What is your perception/opinion about the role of women in science?

Valentina Grignolio: I believe that science and technology are two key areas for the development of this country, making them very important, and they need to be emphasized if this country is going to evolve. I also believe that women have unique gifts to bring to the development of STEM areas, such as their particular perspective and creativity when it comes to problem-solving. Over the last two years, I’ve seen the number of women in these fields grow exponentially, although I also believe there could be substantially more, right? So I think it’s a very worthy outreach initiative and more people should be joining in.

However, I think it’s worth saying that we should extend consideration and value to all those people working in STEM areas, because of their skills and contribution, not just because of the gender with which they choose to identify.

Rosa Tinaco: I believe our role is no more and no less important than that of any other person or gender working in science, because basically, the mission of a scientist is to further human development through science. There are many fine examples such as Marie Curie, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, all historic figures who have made invaluable contributions to humanity, very often at a great personal cost. So I believe that our role is as important as that of any other person working in science.

What would you say to a young woman or girl who wants to work in the area of science?

Karla Soto: If you were to ask me today what I could tell a young woman or girl who wants to dedicate herself to science, I’m sure I would say it’s a terrific opportunity to fulfill yourself, to learn and flourish in this field, where the potential for growth is as huge as your contribution to society. Technology and science can give you the tools to innovate in all the ways that society so urgently needs.

Marcela Diniz: Just do it! Girls just have to understand that we are capable of doing anything! You should apply to the school you want to, and if you want to study science, that’s all good. If that’s what you want, you’ll get there and you’ll do it as best you can. It doesn’t matter what you do, you just have to do it as well as possible, and pay no attention to comments, to other people’s opinions and sexist drivel. That’ll always be there, but it should never stop you. You need to keep going, ignore the comments and situations that aren’t worth bothering about. At the end of the day, what matters is to do our job as well as possible.