TWIST - TOWARDS
WOMEN IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
The project TWIST
– Towards Women In Science
and Technology (http://www.the-twist-project.eu) – is funded by the European Commission, DG Research within the Seventh Framework Research Programme.
The project is
grounded in the awareness that the neglect of the gender dimension of research has implied that the share of women in research is extremely
low in all European and associated countries. Throughout
Europe there is a fear that interest
in science and technology is
declining, at the same time
as demands for science and technology
graduates grows.
The TWIST project addresses this challenge with an ambitious programme of coordinated activities to raise awareness on the role and representation of women in science and technology throughout science centres and museums
in Europe. The project targets
young people and their teachers and parents, as well as
the general public. It focuses
on the outdated stereotypes
and prejudices on societal roles for men and women and career paths.
Activities involve the creation of an exhibition in several
European science centres, ignite
on-going discussions among citizens, interactive drama, teacher training, scientist
speed-dating and much more,
trying to test, new ways of
focusing on the most
relevant gender issues in each
country.
Summarising, among the activities carried out so far in the framework of the project, the following can be mentioned.
- Implementing an on-line survey on how
science centres and museums address
the women in science issue. The survey has been carried out
by ASDO during the Summer
2010. 74 organisations worldwide (from European and not European countries) filled
out the online questionnaire. The
survey provided an overview of the mission, communication strategies and
gender commitment in science centres and museums and identified many
examples of initiatives, strategies and tools used by them to better
address girls and women. (info on the survey are available at: http://www.asdo-info.org/projects/TWISTsurvey.htm.
- Drafting of guidelines for science centres and museums on effective ways to
address the gender gap
issue in their institutions. The guidelines have
been drafted by ASDO on the basis of multiple
sources: the main findings of the survey, a broad review of literature and websites – which gave useful inputs and empirical material - and partner
consultation. The main objective
pursued through the Guidelines is to provide
science centres and museums with a set of recommendations and examples of
strategies and tools for activating or enhancing their commitment to
gender equality.The
« Guidelines for communication activities on women
in science to be implemented by science centres
and museums” can be
downloaded here: http://www.asdo-info.org/public/TWIST_GuidelinesReport.pdf
.
- Organising a gender day across science centres
and museums. The gender
day took place in every country involved in
the TWIST Project (i.e. Italy, Denmark, Israel, UK,
Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands,
Slovenia, Sweden) during the month of March
2011. Info on the gender days
are available at : http://www.the-twist-project.eu.
- Creating an exhibition on women in
science.
- Setting up of a database of information on women and science;
Info
on the other activities of the project are available at: http://www.the-twist-project.eu