"If you can see it... you can be it" is the slogan with which IFCA commemorates Women and Girls in Science Day

IFCA Editor, February 9, 2021

In an edition marked by safety distance, hygiene and limiting contact between people, the Instituto de Física de Cantabria (CSIC-UC) commemorates one more year on February 11th, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, with several activities aimed at all audiences adapted to current health conditions.

With the campaign "If you can see it... you can be it", the institute has scheduled from February 8th until the end of the month the following divided initiatives:

- Scientific route through shop windows of the Old Town of Santander. In collaboration with the Asociación de Comerciantes del Casco Viejo de Santander and several ESAC illustrators, IFCA has organized a route through the following stores in the capital: La Vorágine, Amada Lois, El 3er Tiempo, El baúl de la Abuela, Paloma Merendón, El Gato en el Balcón, Arrabal Gómez hairdresser and Confecciones Labor. In their shop windows will be represented eight scientists of different ages who work in Cantabria in various branches of research, which can be discovered and known in a special way between 8 and 21 February. Whoever completes the route and shares on social networks photographs with the hashtag #escaparates11f tagging IFCA, will get a gift from the institution. Illustrators in charge of the designs are Sara Fuentes (@sarafuentes_art), Marina Owens (@neibyowens), Guillermo Ajo Ferreira (@gaf_ilustracion), Sara Pérez (@saraperezm) and Beatriz Escobar (@beatrizescobarilustracion). Check out the tour here. 

- Film series at the Filmoteca de Santander. On Wednesdays February 10, 17 and 24 at 19:30 the following feature films will be screened: "Radioactive" (2020), "Bombshell" (2017) and "Picture a Scientist" (2020), respectively, at the Filmoteca de Santander (C/ Bonifaz, 6). They will be accompanied by a brief presentation and discussion afterwards. The films will be screened in original version with Spanish subtitles.

- Exhibition of the comics participating in the IV Comic Contest IFCA: "Científicas en lucha". In the hall of the Facultad de Ciencias (UC) from February 8 to 21. 

- Cycle of on-line talks "Ateneas" in collaboration with the Ateneo de Santander. On Thursdays 11, 18 and 25 February at 19:00 and through the web atesant.es three talks will be given by Matilde Cañelles with "The endless career of women in Biomedicine", Ana Quirce with "Photonics in our lives" and Almudena Estalrrich with "What teeth teach us about human evolution". 

"From the IFCA every year we strive to prepare activities such as the well-known Comic Contest, supported by the Fundación General CSIC, or the series of talks at Ateneo de Santander. Both activities, among others organized by the Instituto de Física de Cantabria, are aimed at highlighting and making visible the work of women scientists, to increase interest and encourage scientific vocations among the youngest, and to eliminate gender bias and discrimination in these areas of work", says Rocío Vilar, representative of the Commission for Equality and Diversity of IFCA. 

Currently, women and girls encounter different types of barriers that hinder their presence in the scientific community. For this reason, and with the ultimate goal of achieving their full and equal participation in science, the United Nations General Assembly, decided to proclaim February 11 as the 'International Day of Women and Girls in Science' in 2015. Moreover, presence of women in certain scientific careers such as, for example, Physical Sciences, continues to be much lower than that of men and, although the number of women in scientific positions has increased, the proportion of female professors and research professors represents a percentage far from half. Therefore, initiatives that seek to promote scientific vocations among girls and highlight work of women in science are important. For these demands we continue to commemorate February 11th.