It’s no secret that STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) is a male-dominated field. Women in science and education have worked for years to make STEM careers more accessible to young girls and women. No one’s quite exemplified this effort better than Dr. Jessica Wade.
Jessica Wade Uses Wikipedia To Honor Women In STEM
Dr. Jessica Wade is a 33-year-old London-based physicist who’s spent years advocating for women in STEM. According to American Association of University WomenWomen make up just 28 percent in STEM jobs in the United States. Today, one fifth of computer science and engineering majors is female. Furthermore, the average annual salary for women in STEM is only $60,000, compared to $85,000 per year for men.
RELATED:Stacy London is a Business Leader in Menopause, but she was turned down by the entertainment industry
Because they’re so underrepresented, plenty of women who’ve made meaningful contributions to science have gone unnoticed. Wade is working to change this. Wade started writing Wikipedia biographies in her 20s about women scientists and minority scientists, but they never received the public recognition that they deserved.
This was not an easy task. A few scattered entries quickly climbed up into the hundreds and then eventually to the thousands. She’s since dedicated herself to promoting gender equality in STEM and has gained international recognition for her work.
While Wade has since achieved numerous accolades and was even honored by Queen Elizabeth, the world of Wikipedia contributors didn’t immediately accept her with open arms. High-ranking Wikipedia editors removed several of her entries.
Their excuse was that many of the women Wade wrote about weren’t well-known enough to have their own dedicated page. Wade claimed that this was exactly what caused the problem. Wade said that these women should be credited for their contributions. ShouldMake yourself more known.
Wade had to fight for Clarice Phelps to be included on Wikipedia. This African-American nuclear chemist was part of a team that discovered a new element in the periodic table at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Wade would publish Phelps’ biography, only for editors to delete it. This was repeated until Wade prevailed. Now, readers will be able to read about Phelps’ impressive career for years to come.
Of course, Wade’s advocacy work has expanded well-beyond Wikipedia entries. Today, along with her work as a doctoral research fellow at London’s Imperial College, she helps develop programs to make STEM more accessible to young women and people of color.
RELATED:Olivia Wilde reveals the Glaring Double Standard Female Celebrities in Hollywood
“I genuinely believe that science is better when it’s done by diverse teams,” She explained that according to Today. “Even if you don’t care about any of that, the world desperately needs more scientists and engineers… Science can help solve the world’s biggest challenges—climate change, antibiotic resistance, emerging pandemic-inducing viruses.”
Thankfully, there’s no shortage of recognition for Wade’s important work!