Foreign Ministry opens an exhibition on women’s role in science and their contribution to scientific progress

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has opened a cultural and educational exhibition on two topics: popularizing the achievements of Ukrainian science and ensuring gender equality, in particular for self-realization of girls and women in the fields of science and natural sciences (STEM).

According to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the opening took place on August 10.

Among the guests of the event were the heads of UNICEF and UN Women offices in Ukraine Murat Şahin and Erika Kvapilova, who support the project, the winners of the essay contest under the auspices of the same initiative on Ukrainian women scientists Anastasia Suvorova and Marta Shvets, and Daria Bychkova, and other representatives of the STEM is FEM project, who implement the initiative "Science is Her."

"This exhibition of unique portraits of 12 world-famous Ukrainian women scientists, including cybernetics Kateryna Yushchenko, neurobiologist Nana Voitenko, geneticist Oksana Piven, mathematicians Olena Vanieieva and Maryna Viazovska. Their unique contribution to world science must be worthily represented at the international level," First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Emine Ceparova said.

She also added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs became the first public authority in Ukraine to conduct a gender audit.

"In recent years, we've made considerable progress in ensuring gender equality. We have a clear Action Plan and Strategy for Empowering Diplomats in All Areas of the Diplomatic Service, which we are guided by in our daily work," First Deputy Minister said.

Note

"Science is Her" is a modern educational initiative implemented by the STEM is FEM charity project with the support of the United Nations Children's Fund in Ukraine (UNICEF) and UN-Women in Ukraine as part of the "Generation of Equality" global campaign.

As part of it, five contemporary Ukrainian illustrators created portraits of 12 famous Ukrainian scientists, after which girls from all over Ukraine were invited to take part in an essay contest about any of these outstanding scientists.

The project aims to introduce young girls to successful Ukrainian scientists as role models who will inspire them to believe in their own future in the field of STEM.

561 girls aged 14 to 21 took part in the competition.