Introduction
On International Women’s Day, Suffrage Science 2013 unites the voices of leading female scientists in the engineering and physical sciences underpinning medicine The suffrage movement brought together women
Commemorating women through the arts
from all walks of life to campaign for the right to vote. They gathered in tearooms across the country –
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design has
then the only socially acceptable place for women to
created a unique collection of jewellery and textiles
convene outside the home – to discuss, debate and
to commemorate and promote women in science.
drive forward their cause. Over a century later great
Inspired by the women celebrated in Suffrage Science:
strides have been made towards equality, however
2013 and referencing the suffrage movement, the
men are still six times more likely to work in a science,
collection echoes the continuing struggle for equality.
technology or engineering profession than women1 – despite women comprising almost half the workforce.
Students taking BA Jewellery and Textile Design degrees at Central Saint Martins have created bespoke
Suffrage Science 2011 celebrated the achievements
heirlooms for women scientists to wear. These are
of leading women scientists and communicators in
featured on pages 30 to 53. After two years, jewellery
the life sciences on the centenary of International
will be passed on to the next generation of female
Women’s Day in 2011. Following on from this success,
scientists. Track their progress on page 56.
Suffrage Science 2013 honours women scientists and communicators in engineering and the physical sciences, that relate to medicine. Only nine percent of professors in the UK are women1 and only six percent in physics2. In 2013, the centenary of the Medical Research Council, we decorate 12 leading women with bespoke jewellery heirlooms,
reminiscent
of
the
specially
crafted
jewellery received by leading women of the suffrage movement.
1 2
Women and men in science, engineering and technology: the UKRC Statistics Guide 2010 Academic physics staff in UK higher education institutions: Institute of Physics January 2012
3
Suffrage Science2013.indd 3
02/05/2013 11:25
