"Picture a Scientist" gave me a new understanding of the struggles women encounter

in scientific fields. This documentary shows the hard realities of gender bias,
harassment, and discrimination in STEM. The film tells the stories of three female
scientists: Nancy Hopkins, Raychelle Burks, and Jane Willenbring. Nancy Hopkins
challenges sexism at MIT and created a groundbreaking report on gender
discrimination. Raychelle Burks' story highlights the additional obstacles faced by
women of color in STEM due to sexism and racism. Jane Willenbring experienced
harassment during fieldwork which highlights the 'boys' club' mentality (as mentioned
in the film) in some science fields.
Learning about intersectionality and the extra challenges that women of color face in
STEM impacted me. I realized the need to address gender and racial biases to create
an inclusive scientific community. The story of Raychelle Burks, made these issues
more relatable and concerning. While the documentary addressed gender equity in
science, I was interested to know more on the challenges specific to emerging fields
like artificial intelligence and data science, which are the specific fields where I work
and are having (and going to have) a big impact on society from now on.
Regarding making DTIC-UPF more equitable, promoting open discussions on gender
equity, diversity, and inclusion could lead to real change. Giving a bias and sensitivity
training for staff, and students could also help. This training should aim to do two
things: First, it should increase people's knowledge of the different types of bias and
discrimination that can happen in academic settings. Second, it should teach people
how to actively fight against these issues.

For my part, I see room for improvement. Starting with educating myself on gender
bias and discrimination. This means understanding the systemic barriers women in
STEM face and recognizing any unconscious biases of my own. Listening to my
female colleagues and learning from their experiences is also important to be a better
ally.