Happy International Women’s Day! I’ll say it: being a feminine woman in STEM is hard. In the past, I’ve written about this topic as “surviving” as a feminine woman in STEM. But as I’ve graduated from university and moved forward with my career as a woman in the biotech industry, I am trying to shift my focus from surviving to thriving (a turn of phrase I am borrowing from my former housemates). I’ve been a scientist for a long time. I started tutoring in math and science when I was in middle school and have been pursuing education and research opportunities in STEM ever since. I’ve worked on a variety of health-focused projects throughout my scientific career, many of which were focused on treating various forms of cancer.
I’m also super feminine! If you need a reminder of that, please refer to any page on this blog (including the banner photo of me drinking wine in a tub in heels on my about page). It has been incredibly challenging to be taken seriously as a very feminine woman in STEM. I’d love to say that my long list of achievements and scientific acumen speaks for itself but in my humble experience, it doesn’t. Perception management is part of any job in STEM and the more feminine I present as, the more I feel like I have to work to communicate my abilities. I don’t have a solution for this. (If you do, don’t hesitate to comment below!) But what I have tried to do as I’ve gotten older is to find balance in my life. By being open about my feminine and creative sides, I feel like I help to empower people around me to do the same. I feel like if I try to conceal my feminine side and try to force myself to fit into the predominantly masculine world of STEM, I’m not only making things harder for myself but for future women who just want to be themselves while also being scientists and engineers.
My message is simply: continue being who you are, do your best work, and don’t be afraid to emphasize your achievements and promote your hard work. If you feel like you have to work harder to be recognized for your abilities as a feminine woman in STEM, I agree with you. But our existence and achievements are necessary (but not sufficient) to make STEM a more inviting environment for future female scientists and engineers.
I’m very excited that subject of feminine women in STEM is getting more representation in movies, TV shows, and other media, and accordingly I will end with a quote I loved from Wonder Woman 1984:
Dr. Minerva: “I don’t know what I was thinking, scientists don’t wear heels.”
Wonder Woman: “Sometimes, we do!”
If you happen to be a woman in STEM in the Bay Area like me, the Women in Bio SF chapter is a great resource.
Millennial's Delight 