“Women and Science” session on International Women's Day at the UB

Poster for the session “Women and science. Challenges and perspectives in an uncertain context”, held in the Aula Magna of the Historical Building, on March 5.
Poster for the session “Women and science. Challenges and perspectives in an uncertain context”, held in the Aula Magna of the Historical Building, on March 5.
Institutional
(02/03/2018)

The University of Barcelona, throughout the Equality Unit, celebrated Womenʼs Day with a wide program with activities in all campuses. These activities, organized by the commissions of equal opportunities and student groups from the different faculties, aim to raise awareness among the university community on the importance of gender equality.

Poster for the session “Women and science. Challenges and perspectives in an uncertain context”, held in the Aula Magna of the Historical Building, on March 5.
Poster for the session “Women and science. Challenges and perspectives in an uncertain context”, held in the Aula Magna of the Historical Building, on March 5.
Institutional
02/03/2018

The University of Barcelona, throughout the Equality Unit, celebrated Womenʼs Day with a wide program with activities in all campuses. These activities, organized by the commissions of equal opportunities and student groups from the different faculties, aim to raise awareness among the university community on the importance of gender equality.

The central activity was the session called “Women and science. Challenges and perspectives in an uncertain context”, held at the Aula Magna of the Historical Building on March 5. The meeting was opened by the rector, Joan Elias, together with the vice-rector for Equal Opportunities and Social Action, Maite Vilalta; the director of the Equality Unit, Antonio Madrid, and Sònia Estradé, member of the Equality Commission and coordinator of the activity. During the session, lecturers Anna Villarroya, from the Faculty of Library and Information Sciences, and Núria Pumar, from the Faculty of Law, presented the results of a report written by the League Of European Research Universities (LERU) which analyses the main areas and processes where there is gender bias within the university field, and makes a series of recommendations to tackle this problem. The report has been written by the LERU thematic group on gender, in which these two lecturers take part as UB representatives. The session ended with a roundtable chaired by Sònia Estradé with the participation of Ana Puy, from the Unit of Women and Science of the State Secretariat for Research, Development and Innovation; Maite Paramio, president of the Associació de Dones Investigadores i Tecnòlogues de Catalunya (AMIT-Cat), and the lecturers Cristina Manzanares, from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of the UB, and Eva Pellicer, from the Faculty of Chemistry of UAB.

Activities in the campuses

Apart from this activity, the faculties held different activities on the occasion of this day.

On Tuesday, March 6, the faculties of Geography and History, and Philosophy, screened the film Suffragette (Sarah Gavron, 2015), and a debate offered by Susanna Tavera, professor of Contemporary History, and Núria S. Miras, lecturer of Moral and Political Philosophy. On March 7, the commissioner of the Year Sacharoff, Elina Norandi, offered the conference “Olga Sacharoff: una pintora russa de París a Barcelona”.

The Faculty of Physics offered a lecture on electron microscopy, given by Professor Francesca Peiró, titled “Quan la dualitat ona-partícula ens obre els ulls per veure àtoms”.

The Faculty of Education presented on March 7 Glossari de termes amb perspectiva de gènere, which was given by Mar Vidal and the members of the Gender Commission of the Faculty.

Also, the Faculty of Fine Arts scheduled several activities during the week. From March 5 to 9, the CRAI Library carried out an action to raise visibility of womenʼs books. On March 7, at 5 p.m. the film Mater Amatísima (María Ruido, 2017) was screened and it was followed by a debate with the participation of the filmmaker and lecturer and president of the Equality Commission of Fine Arts, Diego Marchante. Marchante is the commissioner of the exhibition “Transcyborgllera. Hackeando el archive desde una perspectiva transfeminista y queer”, which can be visited in the exhibition room of the Faculty until March 10.

The Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences also held an exhibition on the occasion of Womenʼs Day. From March 5 to 9, the hall of the building B exhibited posters on working women who are important in our days. Next to the Faculty, the Col•legi Major Penyafort-Montserrat organized the Second Tournament of Women Football.

The Faculty of Economics and Business set up the 1st Cineforum series “La dona al món laboral” (women in labour force), organized by the commission of the library of the center and in which films on women in the labour force will be analysed, as well as their fight for equal rights. These screenings will take place every Wednesday (March) in room 3 at the building 690, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. On March 7, Hidden Figures (Theodore Melfi, 2016) will be screened; on March 14, Bread and Roses (Ken Loach, 2000), and on March 21, Norma Rae (Martin Ritt, 1979). Previous registration via this link is required in order to attend. In addition, the Economics and Business CRAI Library organized the exhibition “Discriminació de gènere en el treball” (gender discrimination at work), which is divided in three areas: pay gap, conciliation and successful women.

Then, the Faculty of Earth Sciences prepared a poster and a projection to pay tribute to the pioneer women in geology.

From March 5 to 8, the hall of the Medicine Campus - Hospital Clínic August Pi i Sunyer held an informative table on the pay gaps and differences in promotions, in general and in regard to the Faculty and the Hospital.

The Bellvitge Health Sciences Campus held a workshop to paint bags with feminist quotes and a manifesto was read.

The commemorative activities on Womenʼs Day will continue during the following week. On March 13, at 4 p.m., the Aula Magna of the Historical Building will hold a lecture by the journalist Natza Farré. On Wednesday, March 14, at 12 noon, the Faculty of Law will offer a roundtable on the #MeToo movement and the hidden face that contradicts the public view of certain men in the scientific culture, with the participation of several representatives from different social fields, such as cinema and sports, among others.

Last, the UB Solidarity Foundation and Barcelona Libraries have organized a new session of the cycle “Un te a la menta amb…” (a mint tea with…) on March 19, this year with the advisor and trainer Salwa El Gharbi, member of the Parliament of Catalonia, expert on immigration and diversity management, former director of the Department of Human Rights at UNESCOCAT, president of the association of Tamazight women and head of women at the Amazigh World Assembly. This meeting will take place at 6.30 p.m. at Biblioteca Zona Nord. The activity is framed within the socio-educational intervention project developed by the UB since 2014 at the neighbourhood of Torre Baró.