Tyler McKay | Assistant News Editor
Featured Image: President Rhonda Lenton (left), Senator Rosa Galvez (middle), and Dean of Lassonde School of Engineering Jane Goodyer discuss the topic of women in STEM fields. | Tyler McKay
On Monday, a discussion with Canadian Senator Rosa Galvez and York President Rhonda Lenton was hosted in the Bergeron Centre and moderated by Dean of Lassonde School of Engineering, Jane Goodyer. The discussion covered gender equity and inclusion for women in the STEM fields.
Senator Galvez began her academic career at the National University of Engineering in Peru, where she is originally from. She then obtained her Master’s and doctorate in environmental engineering from McGill University.
She specializes in water and soil decontamination, waste management, and environmental impact and risk assessment.
In December of 2016, Galvez was appointed as an Independent Senator from Quebec. She is now the current Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Energy, the Environment, and Natural Resources.
Senator Galvez affirmed her support for the empowerment of women and girls, and cited the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5, which is to achieve gender equality.
“Historically, women have been told what we could be and what we can’t be. But history also shows us that things evolve and things can and do change,” said Galvez.
Galvez says she has faced many obstacles in her life, but that they made her stronger.
“A salmon is always swimming against the current,” said Galvez.
“What happens when we swim against the current is, we develop muscle. We become a little bit stronger and we know the path, the obstacles, and we learn to swim better.”
Galvez spoke on the importance of not only showing the path forward for women, but also clearing the path so that the next generations won’t have to face the same difficulties.
“I came to the talk today because I’m a woman in STEM, so I’ve faced some of the conscious and unconscious bias that was spoken about today,” said second-year PhD student in civil engineering, Josephine Morgenroth.
“I wanted to hear what such distinguished women had to say about the topic,” she continued.
“I think the one message that I want to give for the women in the room is that I still see a lot of women leaders so hard on themselves and I wonder if there isn’t still a gender difference in how women are self-critical,” said President Lenton.
According to Senator Galvez, role models are important because they can increase self-esteem to help get you through the difficult STEM fields.
Her father believed that she was not capable of becoming an engineer. Yet, her grandfather became a supporter and a role model for her in his capacity as an architect and a lawyer. He brought her along on his projects.
“Gender equity is fundamentally based on cultural and structural factors that have to be adjusted,” says President Lenton.
Lenton encouraged women and men as a society and individually to work together to take on these cultural and structural changes.
“I thought the talk was very interesting. The two ladies that spoke were very impressive and I think that they really raise the visibility of women in STEM,” says Morgenroth.
