I would again like to thank the WEEA Equity Resource Center at the EDC for
inviting me to take part in the Dialogue on Women and Girls in Science.
Our week-long discussion has gone by very quickly. It seems we've raised
as many new questions as we have answered old ones.
I would encourage those of us who are interested in the idea of women's
ways of knowing and traditional forms of knowledge to continue sharing our
ideas on the topic. Linda Purrington asked for concrete examples of
traditional knowledge in the U.S. context. In her posting, Halimah Polk
provided some examples of "female friendly science" (e.g. human anatomy,
life cycle of human infants, the chemistry of cooking and cosmetics,
and herbal remedies and midwifery). Likewise, numerous examples exist of
how women in developing countries have been incorporated into the
development process using insights they have on water management and
animal husbandry, to name just a few.
These examples provide possibilities for areas in which females may share
their traditional knowledge for the benefit of the discipline. But we
must not settle for their co-optation in these areas alone. Girls and
women must also be allowed to be equal players within scientific fields
traditionally closed off to them. It is up to us to work with interested
females to demand as much.
I would also invite those who are interested in the issues I've raised
regarding women in science at the global level to get in touch with me so
that we may share our ideas and experiences.
Best wishes,
Christine Min Wotipka
School of Education
Stanford University
http://www.stanford.edu/~cwotipka/
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