2023 Session 5: Women and Girls in Science
- Itsekiri NextGen Project: 2023 Session 5 Report
- Topic: Women and Girls in Science
- Date: Saturday 11th February 2023
- Volunteers Present: 4
- Total Number of Attendees: 82
- Timings: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
- Venue: Former Caravan 4, Aja-Pessu (Pessu Community), Warri
- Main Topic/Activity: UN Day for Women and Girls in Science
- Resource Person: Dr. Tuoyo Ovie-Jack Umama
Summary of Women and Girls in Science
Women also have great potential like men hence they shouldn’t be relegated to the background. United Nations want women and girls not to restrict themselves from getting involved in science courses, so it deems it fit to set aside February 11th as a day to mark women and girls in science.
Session Delivery
Some team leaders came early and together with their team members, they got the hall set for the session by sweeping and arranging the chairs and tables.
Pastor Jolomi Tedeye took the opening prayers and played the Itsekiri anthem for all to sing along.
Uwala Tedeye came out to hail the leaders and other participants who came early to set up the hall for the session. She admonished others to emulate them. She brought to the notice of the participants that the session is to mark Women and girls in science hence United Nations has chosed11th of February for it. Then she introduced the guest facilitator for the day in the person of Dr Tuoyo Ovie-Jack.
The participants were happy to have her for the session. They clapped as she stepped out to handle the microphone.
Dr Tuoyo Ovie-Jack began by telling them how people of old refused to put female children in school because they will certainly get married and belong to another family.
Then if they would allow the girl child to go to school at all it is to become a teacher. She cannot aspire to go higher. All these are wrong notions because both the girl and boy child are born equally.
She proceeded by saying that science is the field of study concerned with describing the world around us by observing and experimenting.
She gave pictorial examples of women in the past. They were mostly involved in farming and selling farm produce. At most, they become teachers.
Also, visual examples of women of today were displayed on the screen. They are indomitable women, nothing deters them from being who/what they want to become. They are involved in different aspects of science even the ones that are termed too difficult or complex.
She made them know that there is no limit to what women can accomplish. She used herself as a case study as she has been able to obtain her PhD as a woman. Women need to love themselves and be strong, confident, courageous, resilient, and compassionate. They also need to be team players.
The major challenge women have in science is that the ratio of men in science is higher than women. This does not need to be handled with kids’ gloves. The gap needs to be bridged by getting more women involved in science.
At the end of the session, the participants were told that they are light and are meant to shine. Everyone danced to the tune of the music ‘this little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine’.
Then it was question time. The facilitator asked questions about what she taught. She was marvelled to hear the participants give her the answers verbatim. She was pleased to know that they were all attentive. This prompted her to give a monetary gift to them.