A two hours virtual panel discussion with six panelist from all over the world taking place from 6 pm to 8 pm CEST=UTC+2 on July 1 2022 is part of the (WM)² 2022 program.
Here is the link to (WM)² YouTube channel where the record of the event appears.
The panel is dedicated to the memory of Yulia Zdanovska. Yulia Zdanovska was a silver medalist at the European Girls' Mathematical Olympiads (EGMO) in 2017. Yulia was a brilliant young mathematician with a successful future ahead of her. The young woman refused to leave Ukraine amid the war and, working as a volunteer, died in a fire caused by a Russian missile that hit her residential area in the eastern city of Kharkiv. She was 21 years old.
Abstract: Gender disparity in mathematics can be detected at an early age. For children or teenagers, expectations from family and society, and the absence of female role models often drive girls away from mathematics. The goal of this panel is to discuss initiatives from all over the world aimed at attracting and supporting girls who love mathematics.
Moderators: Ekin Ozman and Olga Paris-Romaskevich
Panelists and abstracts
Luba Konova Sofia University, Bulgaria, EGMO: from a single moment to a whole momentum. By being both an educational eco-system and a social network, the European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiads (EGMO) unites girls from all over the world and thus enriches the mathematical society with valuable new female members.
Geetha Venkatraman Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University Delhi ,India Encouraging girls and young women in mathematics: perspectives from India. The presentation will focus on some of the Government funded initiatives to encourage girls in high school to continue their education in mathematics and sciences. At the undergraduate level also there are several attempts to encourage young women to continue with mathematics and to hopefully have successful research and academic careers in mathematics. Some of these by the Indian Women in mathematics (IWM) and others will also be discussed
Fadipe-Joseph Olubunmi Abidemi University of Ilorin, Nigeria, Challenges met by African girls who love mathematics and how to improve the situation. Some girls in Africa love Mathematics but they need to deal with a whole variety of challenges that I will describe. These challenges have to be addressed to support girls who want to study mathematics. I shall describe programmes for girls which convey the messages that mathematics is everywhere, is useful and is joyful.
Kenneth Fan Girls' Angle, USA, The Mathematical Brilliance We Are Losing and What We Can Do About It. For the past 15 years, girls have taught me how they want to study math. When I started listening, they began to teach me wonderful mathematics. I’ll present the key math educational approach they taught me and share a few of their beautiful mathematical discoveries.
Makiko Sasada The University of Tokyo, Japan, Activities to encourage girls enjoy mathematics in their own individual way.
In Japan, there is still a major underrepresentation of women in math. In particular, the percentage of women in math departments is already quite low among undergraduate students, which can be attributed to strong gender stereotypes and a biased image of mathematics in our society. In this talk, I will present some of my activities I have conducted with many colleagues to introduce various aspects of mathematics and role models to girls, as well as their parents, and the society around them. I believe it is very important to send the message that everyone has their own way of enjoying mathematics.
Laura Gomez Universidad Sergio Arboleda, Colombia Mathematics unite girls This year the theme of the International Day of Mathematics was: Mathematics unites. In different parts of the world, this celebration has been extended as well as the concern to generate safe and trusting spaces that allow more girls and young people to be interested in mathematics and feel that mathematics belongs to them too. This presentation will present some strategies that are being made from Latin America and specifically in Colombia to inspire and motivate girls with mathematics. Likewise, it will be presented how these strategies and spaces unite us as women and also unite girls around mathematics.
Below, Yulia Zdanovska pictured by Constanza Rojas-Molina.
