The world of science and technology, despite involving women is exclusively geared toward men. In an attempt to change this profile, the British company EDF Energy created the Pretty Curious, a competition to attract girls to the areas of science, technology, engineering and math.
However, a controversy is swirling around the contest. In its latest edition, EDF Energy opened the Pretty Curious for all young people 11-16 years to think of connected home ideas, rewarding a 13 boy as the winner.
The teenager created a control video game capable of harnessing the kinetic energy generated by their use. Three of the four runners-up, who had ideal smart curtains, intelligent fridge and a sleep monitor, were girls.
A computer scientist Sue Black OBE questioned the decision on his Twitter. “Congratulations to the winner – but I’d love to hear EDF on the choice of winner meets its goal for the competition,” published
Other side
. in defense, the company claimed that the contest was open to all young people 11-16 years in the “interests of justice” and added that the “winner was nominated by a panel of judges, including a team only winning women workshop #PrettyCurious Glasgow “. Nevertheless, the competition page continues to indicate that the program is geared toward girls.
On the other hand, not comments on the subject were negative. The winner of the Google Global Science Fair 2014, Ciara Judge, questioned in his blog to let a girl win a contest aimed at interaction with the sciences actually promotes girls in the area. “We girls have more courage and determination than just give up because we have not won a competition … Please more credit deem us than that.”
This is not the first time the contest is criticized . When it was released, many women working in STEM (acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics), claimed that the name of the campaign and videos released were sexist.
“This strategy seems to show interest in girls and women, while actually shows them wearing a pink badge at all times, drawing attention to our genre above our achievements, “said Emily Schoerning, director of Community Organizing and Research.
on the website of Pretty Curious, EDF states that in the UK, only 1 out of 7 people working in science, technology, engineering and math are female. “Our campaign aims to change that lit the imagination of young girls, inspiring them to curiosity about the world around them and follow issues related science in school and in their careers.”
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