Women and Girls in Astronomy

An IAU Outreach Global Project

Overview

The Women and Girls in Astronomy project supports events that recognise the role of all women in advancing science and encourages everyone on and off the gender spectrum to consider careers in astronomy. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) strongly encourages activities throughout the year, with a particular focus between two International Days adopted by the United Nations: the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11 February and International Women’s Day on 8 March. 

With each new edition, the Women and Girls in Astronomy project strives to grow and improve. We want to clearly state that trans women are women. We invite everyone on and off the gender spectrum to engage with this programme, highlighting our shared and individual experiences that can help us grow toward a better, more inclusive future in STEM.

The IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach (OAO) invites all outreach practitioners, parents, youth and astronomers to contribute to the programme and support a number of virtual and in-person events that recognise the contributions of all women and girls in astronomy.

If you are an astronomy outreach practitioner

Host your own event to celebrate all women and girls in astronomy! You can host a Meet the IAU Astronomers! event, organise a gender-inclusive stargazing night, and much more! Register your event in the Astronomy Outreach Event Calendar, and we’ll promote the events on our social media. 

Do you need some ideas for your gender-inclusive astronomy outreach event? You can find some ideas in the Office for Astronomy Outreach Toolkit. If you have developed or know of any gender-inclusive astronomy outreach activity format, please share it with the community.

If you are a parent, youth or interested in learning more about women in astronomy

Discover an Astronomer Poster Contest.

The IAU Executive Committee Working Group Women in Astronomy and the OAO invite youth from 12 to 18 years old to create a poster or a short video (max 3 minutes) featuring their favourite astronomer for a chance to win a BRESSER NANO AR-70/700 AZ telescope, courtesy Sterren Schitteren Voor Iedereen (Stars Shine For Everyone - SSVI), University Ghent - Dept. Physics and Astronomy, Leiden University, and BRESSER. Entries can feature any astronomer who identifies as a gender minority (including women) in STEM. We hope that the submitted posters will represent a wide cross-section of the global population, including subjects with any differing ability, from any economic background, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. More information on how to participate here.

Join an event

You can also attend an event hosted or supported by one of our 130+ NOCs! We’ll be sharing their events on OAO’s Facebook and Twitter. Or, feel free to join an event from the astronomy outreach community listed in the Astronomy Outreach Event Calendar.

If you are an Astronomer:

Join us in bringing awareness to the importance of gender inclusivity in astronomy and shifting stereotypes of what it means to be an astronomer! We answer a few questions via this form: who you are, your career, your passions, what it means to be an astronomer, and why you support gender inclusion in astronomy. Your contributions will be featured on OAO’s social media channels and OAO's Newsletter as a way to encourage youth on and off the gender spectrum to consider careers in astronomy.

Join our social media campaign

Follow the OAO's Twitter and Facebook to learn more about astronomers around the world, gender-inclusive activities and projects, share resources, events and more! And don’t forget to join the conversation by using the hashtags #WomenInAstronomy and #WomenInSTEM.

The OAO will like to thank the IAU Executive Committees Working Group Women in Astronomy and Astronomy for Equity and Inclusion for their support and guidance in the Women and Girls in Astronomy Outreach Global Project.

Contact
Suzana Filipecki Martins
International Outreach Officer
Tel: +31 644 0701 53
Email: suzana.filipecki@oao.iau.org