The 2024 WISE National Conference: The Importance of Self-Advocacy, Scientific Curiosity, and Female Empowerment
“We just need one woman to open the door, and everyone can follow her in.” — Athiya Rastogi
Two whole days. Forty-five accomplished speakers. Five hundred eager attendees. Sixty-six thoroughly exhausted but passionate WISE members. The weekend of the Annual WISE National Conference was certainly memorable, filled with exciting panels, engaging workshops, intense competitions, inspiring keynote speeches, amazing networking opportunities, and hundreds of awe-inspiring women from different scientific fields and backgrounds. As a Stories of WISE editor, I had the pleasure of both working and attending the conference, which means I was privy to key BTS moments, such as the chaotic but team-building events of the coat room, the many (many) tries it took to get the group photo of the entire WISE team, the insightful conversations I had with various established female professionals that I would otherwise be too intimidated to approach, and the constant efforts of our hard-working executive team who refused to take even a moment of rest throughout the duration of the conference. It also means that I was able to take part in the myriad of events that occurred over the two days, and truly immerse myself in the impactful discussions and form connections with these equally ambitious women in STEM.
One of the first events that I attended — and the event that I was most intrigued by — was the panel on Biotechnology. We touched on multiple topics, including the current state of the field, expected advancements and what the industry is currently lacking, and the personal journey each panelist took to become the women they are today. In addition to learning about exciting new developments related to my field of interest, the panelists really opened my eyes to the potential career paths available following graduation.
I was quite surprised by the “Celebrate Your Successes” workshop. We tackled everything from imposter syndrome, to the importance of self-advocacy in the workplace and at home, finding your “stretch zone,” and the tendency for individuals who self-identify as a minority to minimize their own accomplishments. We also completed a group exercise that I must admit I was initially skeptical of, but eventually came to appreciate. We were instructed to write down all the things that made us remarkable (i.e. things about ourselves that we were proud of) until we filled the entire page. Then in groups, we each read aloud one item from the list, to which our group members would respond with applause and positive feedback, and this would continue until we had all finished our lists. I began to reframe how I view my achievements, and allowed myself to truly feel proud of who I am. I also felt immensely supported and empowered by the other women in the room as we cheered on one another, which really helped to emphasize the importance of having female friendships or a support network in the workplace.
The grad/career fair was one the most highly anticipated events of the conference, judging by the hordes of people who attended. I was able to meet multiple industry professionals, network with various individuals in my field, and learn about possible career pathways that go beyond the stereotypical options of academia and industry. The free giveaways from every company/university was also a lovely bonus!
“Equity is not equality, it’s understanding that there’s a history of individuals in our society who have experienced worse outcomes based on their identity.” — Dr. Nicole Kaniki
The panel on health policy and tech equity involved quite a bit of lively discussion on equity, diversity, and inclusion in healthcare and healthcare research. The esteemed panelists (Tran Truong, Dr. Nicole Kaniki, and Dr. Wendy Ungar) highlighted one of the biggest issues currently plaguing healthcare today: failure to collect demographic data, resulting in biased research guiding our health policy. “If we don’t know that a problem exists, we don’t know how to solve it,” Kaniki contends. “I think that one of the biggest issues in health policy and tech equity […] is that we’re not collecting that demographic data.” Truong added on to Kaniki’s argument, stating that “we can’t look at bias because we don’t have the socioeconomic/demographic data, so we end up using things like proxies like their postal code…which isn’t ideal […]; we need to build up our evidence before we develop guidelines [for healthcare].” The issue that they identified isn’t new. In fact, if you’ve taken a course that discusses any type of mental/physical health disorder or neurodevelopmental divergence, you’ll notice that most of the studies about these disorders fall prey to the W.E.I.R.D. problem: they sample data from young Caucasian males from developed countries — even in cases where we know women (especially racialized women) are more susceptible.
In addition to discussing the current state of the field, the panelists also discussed their journeys after their undergraduate degree, emphasizing the importance of being open to exploring all possible avenues, the interdisciplinary nature of science, and normalizing the feeling of being lost or unsure as to what you want to pursue for the rest of your life. When describing her own diverse experiences, Ungar said, “learning is a lifelong convocation […] it’s okay to change lanes or pathways to figure out what you want to do.” This was quite comforting to hear as a soon-to-be-graduating student who is nervous about entering adult life after university, and I’m sure it was also relieving to those starting university who may find themselves changing their program multiple times throughout their undergraduate career.
The panelists closed off the discussion by talking about being “tokenized” in the workplace, and navigating EDI spaces as women of colour. “The reality of your identity, you cannot avoid. My advice to you [BIPOC women] is to embrace that,” said Kaniki.
“People can only use you to the extent that you allow them. Also understand that you have power. The fact that you are a BIPOC woman means that you are powerful. What folks are realizing is that our value and our worth in these fields isn’t just about our identity — we have brilliant minds that can actually be leveraged in these areas as experts, and we are experts first before we are women, before we are racialized women […] As women, we have an opportune moment here, because we are now beginning to understand how to leverage power where we are at. Know that you being in all those roles (i.e. leader, student, researcher), you are already making a difference. I know that sometimes it may feel like you are being tokenized in those roles, but you are representing so many more women and girls by being where you are at. When you have those moments of feeling tokenized, understand the power that you still have to open up the door for so many [women] who are coming behind you. So hopefully for the next girl that looks like you, it’ll be a little bit easier for her […] because you’ve established there that a woman that looks like you can do what you do. […] Make the most out of every opportunity that you have, and understand that by doing that, you’re not only doing it for yourself or representing just yourself, you’re representing so many more who are coming behind you.”
“The more women you talk to…the more you realize that there’s a space for us.” — Amy Wasik
Out of all of the incredible events at this year’s WISE National Conference, the Women in Leadership panel was one that resonated with me the most. The hardships these women faced while trying to become the powerful leaders in their respective fields that they are today — from being the only woman in their program or workplace, to experiencing unconscious biases and systemic racism on the job — truly struck me. One of the key topics discussed during the panel was the experiences of women of colour in the workplace. They described how companies brandish the term “diversity” as a trophy, but often fail to translate this into inclusive policies. Recounting their own experiences, the panelists identified the micro-aggressions they often faced in the workplace, including their cultural holidays and practices being unacknowledged, having their ideas invalidated due to their identity, being the only woman or racialized woman on their team, etc.
The panelists also touched on the subject of imposter syndrome, and how part of dealing with imposter syndrome involves fostering strong female relationships or support networks in the workplace — a common theme of this year’s conference. They outlined their own experiences while hiring employees, identifying the drastic difference in self-confidence that male and female candidates display, with women tending to downplay their achievements in spite of having more experience than their male counterparts. They concluded that one of the most effective solutions for coping with imposter syndrome was to have a close network of women to cheer you on, provide support, and to help validate you as an individual.
It would be remiss of me to neglect the conversations that I had with some truly amazing women during the conference, that were equally as impactful as the events outlined above. For instance, I spoke to one courageous woman who completed her engineering degree almost twenty years ago, and was now returning to school to further her education and obtain the necessary skills that would allow her to adapt to the changing workplace. I also had the pleasure of talking to Tran Truong over lunch, the Director of Data and Technology for Cancer Digital Intelligence at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Project Director for Techna at UHN. I was amazed to learn that she was the only woman in her computer science program at the University at Waterloo, and how she used that experience to guide her through her career and encourage her to advocate for herself in the workplace. “You have to speak up and demand it,” said Truong. “Of course you have to put in the work to warrant that raise or promotion, but you need to speak up if you want to get the recognition that you deserve.”
I could continue to go on and on about every incredible moment of the conference, or about every badass woman in STEM that I met, but there simply isn’t enough time nor space on this page to do so. Instead, I’d rather share with you the three main things that I have taken away from this year’s conference:
- Don’t ever be afraid of taking risks or getting out of your comfort zone, because that’s how you grow. Even if you think that you don’t deserve that promotion, or that you aren’t qualified enough for that job, you have to try. You only become qualified for something after you attempt it.
- Don’t underestimate the value of female friendships. These women are your mentors, your network in the industry, and most importantly — your cheer squad. Furthermore, don’t forget to be there for your fellow women in STEM (and women overall)! Remember to hype each other up instead of tearing each other down.
- Follow your interests, even if they lead you all over the place, or down a path different from everybody else’s. Not everyone is on the same journey that you are, nor is there a correct set of steps that you must follow. As long as you are passionate and work hard, nothing can stop you from achieving what you want.
Here at the Stories of WISE, we’ve had the privilege of writing about numerous talented and extraordinary women in the sciences, and we’ve gotten to know them on a personal level. After attending and reflecting on this year’s conference, I can honestly say that I have never felt more determined to become even a fraction like these women that I so admire. I hope this year’s WISE National Conference — as well as these articles — have also inspired you to follow in the footsteps of these badass women in STEM.
Disclaimer: It should be noted that some quotes have been removed from the above article, as the individuals in question have since expressed controversial beliefs that do not align with the values of WISE.
