Giving girls a gateway into science and technology through stories

Encouraging more girls to take up science professions is a multifaceted process that begins with providing accessible and likeable role models. The women we encounter as children provide the first clues to what our future could hold. These women may be real or literary, and come to us either through life experiences or stories that we hear, read or see.

Studies have shown, however, that very few women are represented in science, and even fewer are given problem-solving and leadership roles. This means that when we are browsing shelves to choose books for our children to read, we struggle to find any that highlight how women have contributed to scientific discoveries and technological inventions in the past.

Additionally, we have very little fictional material that helps us imagine what girls’ future contribution could be. In fact, the United Nations observes that women scientists are leading groundbreaking research across the world and yet they remain grossly underrepresented.

A report published in 2018 shows that “despite their remarkable discoveries, women still represent just 33.3 per cent of researchers globally, and their work rarely gains the recognition it deserves. Only...