Do I ever wish I was a man?No.

By Prarthobee Tariq

“I like being a woman, I get to be who I am,” said Dr.Marignani when she was asked what her favourite part about being a woman in STEM is. The latest Dalhousie Women in STEM event in collaboration with the Dalhousie Science Society consisted of a panel of four successful women in STEM. The panel included Genny Centeno Metri the director at Women Who Code Merida; along with Dr. Paola Marignani, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Department of Pathology; Dr. Noreen Kamal who is an assistant professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering; and Dr. Sara Faridi a professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Dalhousie University. Ranging from personal anecdotes to significant life stories to tips and tricks for survival in male-dominated industries, the panelists discussed the challenges they faced throughout their journey to get to where they are now. They gave the listeners an insight into their lives and shared ways in which they can achieve success like them.

While discussing what it means to be a woman in STEM, one challenge that everyone faced was sexism. Microaggression towards women in male-dominated fields, and a sense of workplace inferiority have been common for a while now. Genny recalled hearing her peers exclaim at how surprised they were that she knew what she was doing; as if they were expecting her to be bad at her work because of her gender.  Dr. Faridi talked about how she faced sexism in the United States compared to her home country, and how she was considered less intelligent than her peers there just because of her gender. Dr. Kamal put forth an example of how one woman in a workplace is held accountable for the representation of every woman. Dr. Marignani talked about the sexism she faced from other women during her time, who were often threatened by the fact that they could be replaced by her, causing unfriendly behavior.  

In addition to sexism, another challenge these women have faced is racism. Dr. Kamal shared how not being from the same background as her peers made her feel like she was a minority within a minority. Dr. Marignani also shared her experience with racism when a professor asked her to do what her people do instead of pursuing her passion. Another point of discussion was on the topic of imposter syndrome and how to deal with it. Dr. Faridi pointed out that one just learns to live with it and understand that every individual is trying to figure life out. No one is superior to one another and all of us are imposters.

When asked about some tips to achieve their level of success, all of them agreed to the fact that there is no point in putting too much pressure on oneself, and that asking for help should be normalized because there is no need to be afraid of speaking up. Dr. Marignani emphasized the fact that one should not apologize for their intelligence, nor should one hide it. Genny added that being self-aware and starting slow is always a good idea as it builds up to something significant in the long run. Dr. Kamal highlighted that women should not consider themselves as baby makers nor should they change their viewpoints in life since they have kids. Additionally, Dr. Faridi says that one should not be too hung up on the fact that they are women in STEM, we should know we are equal to our male counterparts and carry ourselves as such. According to them all, at the end of the day, everything is going to be okay and work out for the best. Furthermore, it is crucial to be allied with other women in STEM, Dr. Marignani emphasizes how many opportunities and collaborations are coming into light as women are helping women rather than feeling threatened by one another. 

Each panelist also talked about their favorite part about being a woman in STEM. Dr. Marignani said she likes being a woman, she gets to be who she is. Genny said she likes doing what she does and it makes her feel happy. Dr. Kamal wants to be a role model for the next generation as her generation lacked female role models in her field. Dr. Faridi exclaimed that she finds it fun to do what she does. The event helped many young women in STEM in attendance understand how to address the challenges they are facing or even might face in their fields and gain inspiration from the panelists and their success.