G.I.R.L.S.

Featured In

  • Girlhood Magazine's Podcast

  • Nature Awards 2024 Inspiring Women in Science: Science Outreach Top Contenders

  • Crimson 18U18 Finalists

We break barriers, shatter glass ceilings, and support diversity for a gender-equal tomorrow. We hope we inspire you to do the same.

At G.I.R.L.S. Organization, we are dedicated to fostering female representation in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Our goal is to build a community that not only informs but also inspires and encourages young women to embark on careers in these traditionally male-dominated fields. We firmly believe that every girl has the capacity to excel in STEM, and we strive to break down the barriers and stereotypes that have often hindered women's advancements in these areas. We aim to inspire girls to embrace their love for STEM and develop the skills needed to succeed through a wide range of initiatives and networking opportunities. We believe that by crafting an inclusive environment, we can create an equal and supportive future for women in STEM, and we hope you will join us in our effort in ensuring females around the globe are being recognized for their significant contributions.

Inspiring Narratives

Hedy Lamarr

A Hollywood actress, Hedy Lamarr was responsible for the invention of frequency hopping during World War II. Her work, co-developed with the composer, George Antheil, has greatly impacted today’s technologies, including but not limited to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Her system, through its ability to rapidly change communication frequencies, became an unbreakable code for torpedoes. Hedy Lamarr, despite facing skepticism and discrimination due to her defiance of stereotypical female roles, drastically altered the modern world. You can read about her on our website!

Katherine Johnson

A talented mathematician at NASA, Katherine Johnson was instrumental in the success of the nation’s first manned spaceflights, chiefly John Glenn's orbit around the Earth. Her calculations for complicated trajectories, though done by hand, were incredibly accurate. Her story is featured in the heart-warming film Hidden Figures and is a testament to the importance of racial and gender diversity within the mathematical and scientific fields. Katherine Johnson continued to remain strong despite facing an immense amount of racism and sexism as an African American women in the Jim Crow Era, and her legacy continues to inspire aspiring STEM women of color around the globe.

Annie Easley

An intelligent African American mathematician and computer scientist, Annie Easley contributed significantly to the field of aerospace. Easley began her career at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, initially doing calculations by hand due to her gender and race. Her struggles as an African American women did not stop her from being an instrumental addition to the team developing the software for Centaur, a rocket that would be used for numerous space missions. We call upon Annie Easley’s legacy as a testament to the abilities of women of color in STEM; her story is truly inspiring.

Maryam Mirzakhani

An Iranian mathematician, Maryam Mirzakhani is known for her contributions to the study of geometric surfaces and the dynamics of abstract mathematical objects. Maryam Mirzakhani continues to motivate aspiring female mathematicians worldwide and is a testament to the fact that any women can acquire success in such a field, regardless of it being dominantly male. In fact, Mirzakhani has earned numerous accolades for her groundbreaking work, notably the Fields Medal in 2014, and is the only woman to date that has earned this honor.

According to the National Science Foundation, the STEM workforce is roughly 72% male.

Underrepresentation in the science, technological, engineering, and mathematical fields is, unfortunately, very common in today’s society; these trends not only stifle the ability for creative and diverse solutions to be brought to the table, thus hampering advancement, but send a discouraging message to aspiring women and individuals from underrepresented communities. It is crucial to address and fight against these statistics to ensure equitable opportunities for all and foster an environment that champions and supports uniqueness. We aim to rectify these issues through several fronts; our team has written and edited numerous articles that not only detail the rich, expansive histories and careers of women in STEM but inform readers of current events and movements happening all around the world. If we are able to accomplish this, we can make clear that inclusivity is an essential component of advancement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Women hold less than 26% of computing jobs.

Underrepresentation in the computing field has, actually, little to do with the qualifications of women and more to do with the traditional attitudes a majority of individuals hold today. Most female engineers and coders are discouraged from entering the technological industry, while entering a mostly male-dominated field is often intimidating in and of itself. Creating a more inclusive, aware environment is necessary for all of these reasons, and it is imperative to convince all women of their capabilities. Almost 40% of computer science graduates at MIT, one of the most difficult schools in the nation for this major, are women. While we acknowledge the difficulties involved in changing such integrated attitudes within society, we truly believe that by fostering an environment that supports and encourages writers and girls alike to deliver and express their thoughts, we can break these discouraging barriers.

Women are underrepresented in clinical medicine, comprising less than 40% of hematologists.

Only four of the leaders of the American Society of Hematology were women in its first 50 years; females in hematology are not only likely to receive less for their work but are less likely than men to be recognized for their contributions in the field. While there are numerous groups around the world that dedicate their efforts to fighting for representation for marginalized communities within these fields, like the Women in Hematology Working Group of the American Society, changes have infrequently occurred. We believe it is up to the members of the G.I.R.L.S organization to confront these statistics and create an equitable landscape that champions collaboration and inclusion. As we educate our readers through our articles and communicate with girls across communities, we learn and fight together.

“We need to understand that if we all work on inclusion together, it’s going to be faster, broader, better, and more thorough than anything we can do on our own.”

Ellen Pao, American Investor and Former Interim CEO of Reddit

Contact

Feel free to contact us with any questions.

You can email us at connect.inspiregirls@gmail.com or reach us through our Instagram account, @inspire.g.i.r.l.s!