58th Annual CSW

Since I discovered I had been accepted as one of this year's Fellows, I've spent the past few weeks pumping myself up for the months ahead. I'm so excited to start research on women's rights--a topic I've always had an interest in but only recently became passionate about. As I've flip-flopped and debated topics I've come to a conclusion: The issue of women's rights is so immense, it's difficult for me to focus on just one aspect. That being said, I can feel my topic of research start to take shape, little by little.

My biggest focus on women's rights has always been access to a strong education. I've always said that education is the basis for empowerment--I've practically developed a rehearsed speech on the subject! But though the concept of education-based empowerment is simple in itself, coming up with the means to improvement is another story entirely. That's why I've decided to focus my topic on transforming models of education to achieve empowerment.

What I hope to find is that these models can be implemented at a large scale, to be used at all levels of educational empowerment, specifically in secondary education, where the least advancement has occurred across the globe. More specifically, I want these models to stem from where women's education most lacks--in science, technology, and engineering. It's no secret that women are very underrepresented in scientific fields, and there are many reasons for this. By partnering with organizations and analyzing their methods for supporting girls in science, I hope to find the model that can be expanded and used outside of just science. Perhaps this ideal model (or models) will be able to encourage empowerment of women and girls in all subjects.

As I've started looking at programs and organizations, I know it's going to be a journey to narrow down my choices. The NC Museum of Science, EPA at RTP, and IBM all have great choices which encourage young women to expand their knowledge within the sciences. Additionally, programs and movements like The Girl Effect, Scientista Foundation, and the Science Club for Girls have already provided examples of ways by which education can be transformed.

With all this in mind, I plan on organizing my topic by discussing educational empowerment and then moving onto it's improvement through transforming models found in science and technology advancement. Overall, this would follow MDG 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women.

I'm so excited to get started! In fact research on the Internet has become my new favorite past time and it's a little concerning. But I'm so eager to get started, and I can't wait to keep everyone updated on my progress!

Until next time!

Alex