The group promote greater sensitivity on the subject of possible sexist discrimination in science, particularly in the areas of STEM disciplines. Students and researchers from Sant'Anna and the University of Pisa also participate. Video interviews for 8 March.
Pisa, 6 March 2021
At the end of December 2020 the Pisa Pod was born in Pisa, a spin-off of the large international organization 500 Women Scientists, started in the United States to actively promote science that is inclusive, open and accessible to the whole society, without discrimination. The international community gathers over 20,000 members and is present in more than 100 countries around the world with more the 500 Pods (English term signifying teamwork and collaboration).
At present, the Pisa Pod consists of 20 female members: PhD students, Post-docs, researchers and professors from the Scuola Normale Superiore, the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, the University of Pisa and also the University of Florence adhere to the Pod in Pisa.
On March 8th, on the occasion of International Women's Day, the Pisa Pod will launch a series of video interviews with successful Pisan scientists entitled T.W.I.S.T. (Top Women in Science Talk), to raise awareness on the issues of sexism, racism, sexual harassment, and other forms of discrimination and oppression in science. Video-interviews with successful Pisan scientists will be published periodically, including Monica Bini (Associate Professor at the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Pisa), Francesca Meneghini (Associate Professor at the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Pisa), and Paola Binda (Researcher of Physiology at the Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery in Pisa), and they will be available on the Pisa Pod YouTube channel.
‘’In the fields of Sciences, Technologies, Engineering, and Mathematics (the so-called STEM) there is still, although not always immediately evident, sexist and racial discrimination that very often women scientists are submitted to - the members of Pisa Pod say - It can be a misplaced word, a glance too much, or a belittling look on the part of the male colleague, up to more serious cases of exclusion from the workplace for non-meritocratic reasons. Our goal is to combat this phenomenon and actively promote the role of women in science ”.
The Pod format is characterized by its independence from the parent organization and other Pods located elsewhere in the world: it acts locally, deciding the objectives and any deadlines from time to time, to promote awareness of specific issues in the community.
‘’ The Pod is organized horizontally, i.e. in a self-organized structure, without a chief leader, but only with a few organizers who manage and coordinate the work of the participants. – continues Giulia Borgonovo of the Scuola Normale. - No participant is obliged to actively carry out tasks or join the initiatives but can also only participate in meetings to talk and share ideas and personal experiences related to the theme, therefore the Pisa Pod as a place (for now, virtual) meeting, in which everything that will be told will remain within the group.
For women scientists who live or work in Pisa, it is possible to contact 500WS Pisa Pod through one of the social channels (https://www.facebook.com/500wsPisa/?ref=page_internal, https://www.instagram.com/500ws_pisa/, https://twitter.com/500wsPisa) or via email 500wspisa@gmail.com.
