Education and lifelong learning shape our societies. Acknowledging and celebrating entities and people who repeatedly strive to encourage people towards science and technology is only fitting. During the closing event of the World Capital for Women and Girls in Science 2023/2024, designated to Malta by the Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT), three awards were bestowed by RASIT.
The first award was given to St Ignatius College. Efforts to promote science and technology to all, including women, are being made through various projects, activities and events at all levels by the college.
Iraqi princess, doctor and scientist Nisreen El-Hashemite awarded St Ignatius College with the School of Excellence Recognition Award. Some of the activities were an art exhibition with the theme of the environment and sustainable development, involvement in national events such as science cafés, the College STEAM week, and visits from professionals working at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN). The next award presented by the princess was awarded to The HSBC Malta Foundation, which supports women and girls in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) initiatives, such as the Girls4STEM summer camp and Thematic STEM debate, the robotics olympiad and the Save the Drop campaign.
HSBC Malta Foundation provided financial support and personnel to assist with the initiative’s activities. Their focus on education as a catalyst for societal change aligns with the initiative’s goal of empowering and inspiring the younger generation.
Women in STEM are determined and have progressed, but so much more can still be achieved
The last award of the day, Prince Mohammad bin King Faisal (I) El-Hashemite’s Royal Medal, was bestowed upon Pauline Galea by Prince Adnan El-Hashemite. Galea has overseen the development of seismological observation, resulting in the Malta Seismic Network of today, as well as the setting up of the Seismic Monitoring and Research Group (SMRG) within the Department of Geosciences at the University of Malta (UM).
In her speech, Galea said that women in STEM are determined and have progressed, but so much more can still be achieved. While she was the only female in class while studying, and later among colleagues, she is grateful for her father’s encouragement and insistence never to set any limits.
It comes as no surprise that these individuals and entities were given these prestigious awards to recognise their efforts in making science more accessible to society, irrespective of gender, socio-economic class, race or religion.
Danielle Martine Farrugia’s is a science engagement practitioner, lecturer and PhD candidate. Lourdes Farrugia is senior lecturer at the University of Malta.
Meet some women in STEM...
• Gabriella Azzopardi works at a Swiss software company aiding the transition to cloud-based systems, managing large-scale data and driving innovation forward.
• Raina Rodrigues is a UK-based plastic surgeon specialising in skin cancer and facial reconstruction.
• At 17, Laura Falzon sailed through both hemispheres of the Atlantic Ocean. She became the first Maltese woman to become a master mariner.
• Rachael Marie Scicluna develops research-based policies and recommendations pertaining to housing, homes, alternative families and social planning within EU urban neighbourhoods and diverse communities.
For more trivia, see: www.um.edu.mt/think.
Sound Bites
• Marie Tharp was an enthusiastic scientist who worked in a geophysics laboratory in the 1950s, studying the Atlantic ocean floor. However, she was not allowed to join the research vessel because of her gender. Despite this, Tharp and her colleague Bruce Heezen created the first map of the Atlantic in 1957, which revealed that the seafloor had canyons, ridges and mountains.
• She Can is an exhibition featuring role models who challenge gender stereotypes in science and tech. It covers themes like marine, sustainability, digital tech and health. It visited schools and parliament. Various initiatives planned throughout the year by the University of Malta, the ministry for foreign affairs and European affairs and trade (MFET) and the ministry for education, sport, youth, research and innovation (MEYR) were aimed at enabling, encouraging and empowering women and girls in science and technology.
https://www.um.edu.mt/marketingcommunications/steam/she-can/
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