A voice for diversity in science | Dr Jessica Wade | TEDxLondonWomen

Only 17% of the English-language biographies on Wikipedia are about women - but the statistic won’t stay that low for long if Dr Jess Wade has her way. A passionate advocate for diversity in science, Jess balances her work as an award-winning physicist at Imperial College London with her role as a ‘Wikipedian’, creating and uploading the biographies of scientists who are women, people of colour and part of the LGBTQI+ community - ones for each day of 2018. In conversation with journalist Anjana Ahuja, Jess explains why the only way to create more diversity in science is for people in positions of power to lend their active support. She addresses the need to help young girls to see past social stereotypes, how she dismisses the online trolls who try to discourage her and names some of the women in science who inspire her personally. Jess is a scientist with an enthusiasm for improving diversity in science. Jess won the Institute of Physics (IOP) Early Career Communicator Prize (2015), “I’m a Scientist, Get Me Out of Here!” (2015), the IOP Jocelyn Bell Burnell Award (2016), the Institution of Materials, Mineral and Mining's 'Robert Perrin Award' (2017), the Imperial College Dame Julia Higgins Certificate (2017) and the IOP Daphne Jackson Medal and Prize (2018). Jess sits on the committees of the IOP’s Women in Physics Group, Physics Communicators Group and London & South East Branch. She is on the Council of the Women’s Engineering Society and Women in Science & Engineering Young Women’s Board. Jess researches organic light emitting diodes that emit circularly polarised light. She is interviewed by Anjana Ahuja, a Contributing Writer on science for the Financial Times and other media outlets. Anjana is best known for her columns on topics such as genetics, AI and space exploration. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@mikemikebwhiz9035]

Is your the Jess wade I Mike been looking for. ?

[@alexlim1275]

jess wade is edna mode from the incredibles or edna mode is jess wade from london? HAHA

[@benbritton1389]

This is awesome Jess, well done! We need more people like you speaking up and getting stuff done.

[@arnaubel5399]

To all the ones who criticize Jess, I suppose you all are outstanding physicists or philosophers. Jess isn’t saying there’s a direct opprssion against women who do science, she is just saying that since has always been a field flagshipped by we men. It’s all about the years that the paper of women in science has been neglected. For that matter, there may be still something remaining in our imaginary that tends to relate the word “scientist” “physicist” “engineer” or even “doctor” with a male figure. I don’t think what she’s saying should bother you at all and I suppose you write this type of comments with no intention of harm, but, no one has made you watch this video and if you feel annoyed for what she’s saying is because there’s still a long way to run.

[@RobinDivine777]

Women are more interested in teaching, nursing and care professions which is great, yet I don't hear men complain about being under represented in those fields. There's an obvious reason(s) why STEM professions are dominated by men... but I'll probably be accused of sexism and discrimination.

[@icontiktok5822]

How do you know what all women are interested in? We aren’t hive minded, every women isn’t interested in working in those field. The reason for women not being in stem is do to bias towards them. They are constantly having to prove they deserve to be there, it’s exhausting. If women were treated as equals and not discouraged when joining theses field you’d see more women. Men don’t face discrimination in women dominated fields in facts they are treated with respect.

[@icontiktok5822]

For a long time those were the only fields of work women were allowed to be in. It has nothing to do with ability or want and everything to do with sexism.

[@icontiktok5822]

All the fragile egos in these comments are hilarious.