International Day of Women and Girls in Science: Jazmin Conway
Posted on February 10, 2023 by Microbiology Society
In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly declared 11 February as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. The day focusses on gender equality and empowerment of women and girls by promoting full and equal access to and participation in science. This year, we talked to Microbiology Society Champion, Jazmin Conway, to discuss her experience as a woman working in microbiology, and to find out more about her outreach work.
“It’s important to reflect on how far you have come during times of struggle and feel proud of everything you have accomplished.” Jazmin Conway
Could you tell us about yourself?
My name is Jazmin Conway and I am a third year PhD Student at the University of Plymouth, UK.
My research involves investigating the deep sea, specifically deep-sea sponges, for novel antimicrobials . This involves investigating the sea sponges themselves, as well as their holobiont, to discover new antimicrobial compounds.
It’s International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11 February 2022; will you be doing anything to raise awareness?
Hopefully, yes! A few other Microbiology Society Champions and I are planning a virtual event called ‘Ask a girl in science’. This gives girls in school the opportunity to ask a woman working in science a question!
We are hoping to inspire the younger generation and show that science is something for everyone.
Is there any advice that you would give to women working in/studying science?
Have confidence in your own ability and never give up!
It’s important to reflect on how far you have come during times of struggle and feel proud of everything you have accomplished; often reflection can enable you to have the confidence to continue towards your career goals.
If you hadn’t gone into science, what career path would you have chosen?
I love the idea of travelling and seeing as much of the world and as many different cultures as possible. When I was younger I was unsure whether university was for me at all and so my back-up was to become a flight attendant!
Do you think more needs to be done to support women working in (or hoping to work in) science?
I do! I think engagement with younger women and girls is extremely important to show them that science is a perfectly attainable career path. I think films and TV programmes like to portray a woman scientist as an extremely smart individual or a geek, which is completely inaccurate.
I think showing young women and girls in schools that scientists are just normal, everyday people would increase the number of women within science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) massively.
Could you tell us why you decided to join the Society and become a Champion?
I joined the Society because I am passionate about raising awareness of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). I wanted to learn more about how I could engage members of the public in a fun and interactive manner.
When I was looking online to find out how I could run some AMR related events, the Champions Scheme became very appealing. They offered me support, advertisement, and funding for my week of events which was a massive help in reaching a large audience.
Since becoming a Microbiology Society Champion, I feel like I am part of a team passionate about microbiology that has a shared goal: raising awareness and supporting each other! Even though I have not met many Champions in person, I know for sure I could ask a question on our online platform and someone will reply in a cheerful and helpful manner!
You recently organised a series of activities for World Antimicrobial Awareness Week. How did this idea come about and what advice would you give other microbiologists interested in getting involved with similar activities?
This idea mostly came about through conversations with my friends and research group. I think I was slightly shocked at how little some of my friends knew about AMR and the importance of antimicrobial stewardship. Therefore, I decided to run a series of events to highlight these areas.
The advice I would give to other microbiologists wanting to do something similar is to think about who you want to appeal to.
I often think running science events can scare the public and make them feel like it’s not for them personally, or make an individual think ‘I know nothing about that’ and not want to participate. Try to make it as interactive and fun as possible, whilst educating people at the same time, of course.
For instance, we ran a pub quiz for those that would enjoy a chat and a drink mid-week. One of our other activities was a UV dodgeball event, for the more sporty individuals. We ensured every event was educational, but our main focus was having fun and making memories so that everyone could take something away from it! Our pub quiz had over 60 attendees and we have been asked to run more events as a result!
If you would like to get involved with Microbiology Society activities, or become a Champion, you can find out more via our Get Involved webpage.
