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WiseNet Visits Marrakech
A second meeting was
held by the UNESCO group to progress the International Report on Science,
Technology and Gender, this time in Marrakech instead of Paris.
Carolann Wolfgang reports from the meeting
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from left to right: Pam Wain,Zofija Klemen-Krek, Carolann Wolfgang, and Liqun Liu: All Very Busy Women in this Photograph, with the Content of Section 1.2 On the Wall Behind |
In the photo at left can be seen an indication of the almost immediate camaraderie and excitement that came out of having a diverse set of participants at the meeting. The group was not large, and as we debated and spoke around the table, the intensity and creativity was evident. At times the conversation became challenging. Here we were, with our own varied experiences; our own versions of the “gender story”. We’ve all been treated in different ways, come from different generations, and have all gone down different paths in our science and technology or policy careers, so, how do you bring all of those stories together to make an overarching, international report on science, technology, and gender?
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| Where to go in Marrakech |
In participating with three other women in the drafting of Chapter 1.2, we found that throughout we had vigorous discussions, and there were many moments when the stories ‘clicked’. Here we sat in a room day after day, Zofija from Slovenia, Liqun from China, Pam from the U.K. and me, with Eduardo checking in periodically to “make sure we were progressing”. We discussed what the impacts were to women with the advancement of the knowledge society. We split up the targets for change into those actions to be taken by parliaments/governments, by public and private bodies, NGOs, and the educational system. We took on the concept of the media and its strong influence on the public image of women.
Of course these were bound to be
animated deliberations; considering such important and far-reaching issues. For
me, it was encouraging beyond doubt to hear the stories of these women and see
what they had accomplished in their respective countries and at the end of the
day, finding common ground with all of them. We wrote draft sentences, we took
notes and remembered anecdotes, we laughed, totally disagreed with each other,
we spoke our mind, and we built a network. It went beyond developing the report
content, it seems to me now in afterthought; one more step was taken in the
right direction, and so it goes. Marrakech will be just one more foundation
stone in the successful future of women in science and technology.
