Chloe Gelacio

CHLOE GELACIO

“Why can’t I play with you?” I asked. “I can play basketball. Scared you’re going to lose?”

“No!”, the boy fires back. “We don’t like playing with girls cause we have to give you special treatment.” If you’re gonna make it easy for me just because I’m a girl, then that’s not my problem, that’s yours. I’m just here to play ball.

I was born a girl and I’ve been proving my worth to be in the playing field since I was young. We’re taught what we can’t do, how we must behave, and that ‘special treatment’ means we don’t belong. That’s never stopped me from doing what I love and what I’m good at. We learn early on how things work, that we will always have to prove ourselves before we can be taken seriously. I study in the male-dominated field of engineering. Although we have a very good percentage of female students in Renewable Energy, we still have a long way to go, but I am lucky to have supportive female peers.

Danielle Goodland

I had known from an early age that I would pursue a career in STEM. From my 15 years of academic experience, I’ve learned that it is not uncommon to walk into a classroom and see only a handful of other women there. To see peers assume your capabilities before you even start working together; to have your contributions dismissed pre-emptively, but if a male colleague were to suggest the same idea, it is not only carefully considered but also credited to him. To have male peers not believe that your answer is correct, and instead seek confirmation from another male peer, or otherwise double check your working themselves, before they believe that you are right. To have male peers ‘mansplain’ your own research to you. To endure casual sexist comments in class from either professors or male peers. And most of all, to feel that extra pressure to succeed not only as proof that women can be successful in this field, but also to be a good role model for the next generation of girls.

I am not a waste of a woman

Whatever I put my mind to, my parents were always supportive and never let me doubt my own capabilities. All those times I was called bossy or a bitch only fuelled my leadership skills and drive to pursue what I want to achieve. All those times I was underestimated by my male peers only made me more confident and assertive. I’m an overachiever, so there are times when being strong-willed has helped in this field, but that should not be a requirement to be successful. Often, it is being soft and compassionate, it is the feminine traits that society frowns upon, that make us successful.

In this generation, feminism or gender equality (whatever you may choose to call it) is a discussion we must all have. I have friends who are wholeheartedly supportive of the movement. I have male friends who think that encouraging girls into STEM is unnecessary. I have female friends who dislike labels and think it hinders us from normalising the idea of women in STEM by constantly separating ourselves from our male counterparts. Not to mention, men’s side of the story in which they are discouraged from expressing emotions. All their arguments are valid and show different aspects to this important conversation.

Danielle Goodland

Outside of STEM, I am still battling gender stereotypes. If not in athletics, it is from relatives who hold different opinions of what a woman should be, and who incite competition between other women. “Surely you have a boyfriend, being surrounded by all your male classmates all the time!” or “You’re too pretty to be an engineer!” or “You’re too career-driven! What a waste of youth and beauty!” With all due love and respect, I am not a waste of a woman because of the path that I chose. I sincerely hope that we reach a day where it genuinely does not matter what gender we identify as and that we are seen based on our merit as individuals instead.