In the 1960s and 70s, primary school pupils in the United States and Canada were asked to draw a scientist. When a science historian collected the drawings in 1983, his analysis revealed that only 28 out of 5,000 pupils had drawn a female scientist – a rate of just 0.6 percent.
The experiment illustrates that ideas about who can become a scientist are deeply ingrained – but such ideas can be changed. That is exactly what DTU President Anders Bjarklev wants to do. He has initiated a strategic initiative at DTU aimed at attracting more female talent and emphasizes the importance of making DTU's female role models visible.
"Young women who dream of a future as engineers should be able to see themselves in other women who have succeeded. They should be able to see that DTU is for everyone who can and will – regardless of gender," says Anders Bjarklev.
"We are slowly changing the picture, but women are still underrepresented at DTU. It is often said that the underrepresented gender must fight a little harder to achieve the same as the majority gender. That is why we must do everything we can to change that, so everyone gets a fair chance," says Anders Bjarklev.
Wishing for a role model
Silvia Tolu agrees. She is Associate Professor at DTU Electro, where she is one of only two tenured female researchers in a group of 36 people. Earlier in her career as a PhD student in Spain, in a field dominated by men, she experienced being ignored and bullied – something she wants to prevent from happening to others.
"For most of my research career, I didn't have a role model. It's important to feel included in your research environment and the more diversity there is, the more I feel accepted," says Silvia Tolu.
To ensure that young women considering a career as an engineer have someone to look up to, Silvia Tolu has volunteered as a role model for various non-profit organizations and at DTU's Engineering Camp for girls.
"I hope I can improve the conditions for these girls – but also for the boys. If I had a role model earlier in my career, it would have been more motivating and given me someone to look up to and ask for advice when things were difficult," says Silvia Tolu.
As one of the few female lecturers in her field, Silvia Tolu also attracts more women – in several of her courses, almost half of the students are women, and she supervises the only two female PhD students in her research group.
"My PhD students have a different experience than I had – they have told me that they feel more represented. It's fantastic to see that the initiatives we have taken actually work. In the beginning, I was alone, but now we are a whole group of women – and it continues to expand," says Silvia Tolu.
