The stories of local women in science, technology, engineering and math will be told in a new exhibit at the Guelph Museums.
Iron Willed: Women in STEM is a travelling exhibition from Ingenium Canada, an organization which makes museum exhibits focusing on national stories. The exhibit will be on display at the Guelph Museums starting Sept. 17 until Feb. 20, 2023.
Dawn Owen, curator at the Guelph Museums, said the museums was approached years ago by Ingenium Canada about hosting the travelling exhibition.
"We were immediately interested, and one of the reasons why we were interested is because we knew there many, many, many phenomenal women in STEM disciplines, right here in our community," said Owen.
Owen said statistically, women and girls enter the sciences in a much slower rate then men and boys do. She said she thinks that is changing and the Guelph Museum aimed to reflect that in the exhibit.
"What this exhibition inspires to do is to really exist and demonstrate in the work that they do and the way they lead their lives, that women and girls have a place in science, both historically, in present day and also into the future," said Owen.
To reflect that change, Owen said the museum added a layer of local content by interviewing 24 women from within the community about their work in STEM. Interviews were suggested by Heather Slinn of 500 Women Scientists Guelph, Joanne O'Meara, Department of Physics, University of Guelph and Cara Wehkamp, Assistant Vice-President of Indigenous Initiatives at U of G.
Online, residents will also be able to watch a conversation the Guelph Museums does with four scientists featured in the exhibit. The conversation will be livestreamed on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at noon through Facebook.
Owen said she was amazed to learn about the scope and the depth of the work that being done by local women in STEM. She adds no matter the discipline, all participants were committed to mentorship, work-life balance and understanding how their identities influence their approach to their work.
"One of the things really pressed upon me was that these women are more than just women and scientists, they are community leaders," said Owen.
"They are looking very holistically at their work and understand that women in particular, have barriers and challenges to building careers in STEM disciplines, that they are working very committed with both youth and underrepresented communities in order to inspire and create opportunities and to facilitate the learning of future girls and women who will chose STEM as a career path."
The exhibit also features stories from Indigenous and queer women scientists within the community.
"What we're trying to do is to break down those barriers and to recognize a whole being and the work they're doing and how it impacts, and sometimes in unique ways, in which they work, live and play," said Owen about sharing Indigenous and queer stories.
While exhibit is telling the stories of these local women, Owen said there are many other stories that aren't being told that are yet to be discovered. She adds there is room in the exhibit for the community ask questions.
"There's space for community to actually have their say in the exhibition itself, and we're really excited about that side of this particular project," said Owen, "and it remains to be seen how the community will respond and how they will leave their mark within the exhibition, but we're really excited to see that outcome because that's where the learning continue."
To learn more about the Iron Willed: Women in STEM, go to guelphmuseums.ca. Tickets can be purchased online or at the museums.
