Outreach

International Day of Women and Girls in Science at the INAOE

Santa María Tonantzintla, February 12, 2024. With the attendance of around 300 middle and high school students, this day was celebrated at the National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics (INAOE), a center coordinated by Conahcyt, the International Women and Girls in Science.

The activities began at nine o'clock with a welcome and the presentation “Women who shine and tell”, by the storyteller Gala.
Subsequently, the attendees listened to the presentation “The winners of the Nobel Prizes”, given by M. C. Héctor Nahúm Chavarría Lizárraga, a doctoral student at the INAOE.

The program also included tours to the Electrophotonics, Photodynamic Therapy, Robotics and Cybersecurity Laboratories. There was also a demonstration of technologies and another of drones, as well as visits to the Schmidt Camera and the Solar Telescope.

In the main garden of the INAOE, the Directorate of Cultural Promotion of the Ministry of Culture of the State of Puebla installed a Reading Point, while the students who belong to the Women in Electronics (WIE) chapter of the IEEE at INAOE directed a lottery of scientifics.

Likewise, at twelve o'clock, Dr. Belinka González Fernández, researcher at the Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla, gave the conference "Exploring the mystery: women creators of science and technology."

The program of activities concluded with an open dialogue in which some of the girls who attended the event shared their experience and the lessons they take home after this day.

In 2015, the UN General Assembly declared February 11 as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science in recognition of the key role that women play in the scientific and technological communities. This celebration seeks to support women scientists and promote access for women and girls to education, training and research in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
For this activity, we had the support of researchers and technicians from the INAOE and students from the IEEE student chapters at the INAOE, the Secretary of Culture of the State of Puebla and the Ibero Puebla.