Women in Science Today
Marie caused significant leaps to be made for better conditions for women in science today. There are considerably more women with science degrees than there were than when she was alive. Now women are encouraged to study hard instead of being discouraged from working.
-“Certainly, we can't blame men alone for creating a male-dominated environment when women scientists are often too keen to be invisible, or worse, to become honorary males, by adopting aggressive communication styles, say, or eschewing any interest in appearance.” (Robinson)
Some stereotypes from Curie’s day have not changed, but things have improved. Women are much more able to get at least a high school education, and women can get into colleges now. There are even all women’s colleges, such as Wellesley College. Now in order to be a scientist, women can generally be more feminine, because “Women don't need to adopt more 'male' character traits to succeed.” (Robinson) There is still more work to do when it comes to being less prejudiced against women scientists, “So, we must all do more to support female chemists: by speaking out at injustice or prejudice, instead of staying quiet,” (Robinson).
“We don’t realize that science is part of our most precious patrimony… which advances human life and decreases suffering. May the public make the future easier… This cry of Marie Curie still retains its value.”
–Irène Joliot-Curie (Goldsmith 229)
Science is one of the most important things to advancing our society and Marie realized that. She instilled that value in her daughter Irène, and is a role model for scientists today.
Sources for this tab:
-Robinson
-Goldsmith 229
-Goldsmith
-Robinson
-Goldsmith 229
-Goldsmith