Empowering the Next Generation of Women in Science: Celebrating International Day of Girls and Women in Science

To celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we recently caught up with 2 of our very own girls in science – Takwa Omar and Masah Mahmoud.

Takwa and Masah are two of our outstanding Year 12 students who are taking A-Level sciences. Driven by their sense of fascination and curiosity, they share their thoughts on women and girls in Science and discuss why they enjoy learning about Science.

“Science is fascinating, as you can discover and unravel so much new information daily about our surroundings. This is from my personal experience, as I currently take A-Level sciences, and this what makes science exciting and fun. This taught me how to analyse and add up theories that come together to assemble evidence for new stuff existing without our realization. Which sparked a love for science in me. Furthermore, a lot of research shows the underrepresentation of women in science majors worldwide.

Less than 30% of the world's researchers are women in science, meaning men outnumber women. However, the number is gradually increasing as more women are introduced to science. This shows the great opportunities for younger girls and women to enroll in this science field. As I suggest, everyone to look it up. In addition to its benefits in the future, when trying to find a job. Due to the diversity in employment, science takes place in almost every job, such as chemical engineering, Machine Learning Engineering, Medicine, and Data Scientist. Therefore, this shows the importance of the role of women in science.”

– Takwa Omar

“I use science as a tool to understand the world around me. It adds structure, logic, and sense to what could otherwise seem chaotic. It provides me with facts and solid proof of these facts. Knowing how things work and the patterns that underlie reality is empowering to me. There is beauty in the unknown. My interests in science are therefore motivated by my questions and sense of curiosity.

Personally, I think it's crucial to have more women in science because I believe they study everything in greater depth and detail since, some have stated, when women are passionate about something, they are more likely to approach it emotionally. Which means they will put all their emotions and hard work in it. As a female, I find it encouraging that there are now many women who make significant contributions to science on a worldwide scale. It also motivates me to work harder and be stronger.

I encourage you to follow this path if science interests you.

Yet, while studying science, you must be tougher as many people will try to bring you down in the simplest ways. But once you begin taking classes, the interest you have will grow with each lesson, and you will eventually develop a passion for it.”

– Masah Mahmoud

As part of Nord Anglia Education’s (NAE) world-wide network of schools, our students benefit from our advanced learning environment and EdTech. We empower and encourage our students to delve into their curiosity and explore their passion through our STEAM programme and exclusive partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).