February 11 is UNESCO and UN-Women’s International Day of Women and Girls in Science

February 9, 2022 (Toronto, ON) – On International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the Canadian Association for Girls in Science (CAGIS) will spark the #BreakingBarriersInSTEM movement. This campaign celebrates this important day by bringing awareness to the issue of gender equity in STEM and spotlighting some of the inspiring trailblazers featured in Off Limits, a video series that takes viewers behind-the-scenes to amazing STEM locations. 

In Canada, women make up only 23% of science and technology workers and 7% of trades workers. Yet STEM occupations are among the highest-paid and fastest-growing occupations in the country. Fortunately, research has shown that breaking stereotypes, increasing access to mentorship programs, and providing diverse role models, can all help. 

“Despite the barriers women and gender diverse individuals continue to experience in their STEM education and careers, so many inspiring trailblazers are paving the way for the next generation.  All barriers can be broken. These role models are inspiring the endless possibilities for girls, women, and gender diverse individuals in STEM.” says Dr. Larissa Vingilis-Jaremko, President and Founder of CAGIS.

CAGIS will mark the day with a social media campaign and a free, virtual panel featuring prominent Canadian women and girls in STEM.

To participate in the social media campaign, CAGIS encourages viewers to watch one of its Off Limits videos for inspiration, then share a picture of themselves in a STEM location, tagging @GirlsInScience with the hashtag #BreakingBarriersInSTEM.

The panel will take place on February 11 at 4 pm ET. Participants can register at https://girlsinscience.ca//breakingbarriersinstem/. 

Panelists: 

Opening remarks by Mary Dagg, CEO of the Anne Innis Dagg Foundation

Cheryl Hunt, Safety Officer with the Ottawa Fire Service; Secretary, Board of Directors of Fire Service Women Ontario

Kumudu Jinadasa, Project Engineer and Mission Manager at Canadian Space Agency

Magali Merkx-Jacques, Planning and Policy Analyst at the National Research Council of Canada 

Shabad Kaur, STEM Communicator and CAGIS Teen Ambassador

Naira Tzavkov, Grade 5 student, CAGIS member and STEM enthusiast

Moderated by Dr. Larissa Vingilis-Jaremko, CAGIS founder and President