There have been a lot of strides for women in STEM fields in the last decade. I get to see it all the time in my computer wizard sister, who not only codes for a living, but was fully operational on the desktop computer before she could speak in full sentences. But girls who were not as fortunate to have support in their calling need all the encouragement they can get, which is why the trending hashtag #GirlsWithToys is so important. Its aim is to fire back at the notion of male scientists as "boys with toys," and celebrate the women with successful STEM careers as well.
The hashtag was inspired by a recent NPR interview with CalTech astrophysics professor Shrinivas Kulkarni. He was explaining to the interviewer how he loved tinkering with telescopes when he said, "Many scientists, I think, secretly are what I call 'boys with toys.'" Although the comment may have been offhanded, it speaks to a much larger, sometimes unconscious issue: The idea that STEM jobs are more often associated as a "man's" arena, when in fact, women are making just as many strides in research and technology.
Scrolling through the #GirlsWithToys hashtag is more than just a response to his comment—it is also an inspiration. Women are proudly posing with their own versions of Kulkarni's "toys," and sharing their triumphs along with them. They are all basically the Leslie Knopes of their field, and I want to fist bump all of them. Here are some #ScienceGoals we can all get behind today:
Breaking down gender barriers, one baller tweet at a time.
Image: girlswhocode/Instagram
