Melanie Ratnam at the United Nations’ annual Commission on the Status of Women session in New York (Submitted photo)
-- article by Alexa Battler, published March 8th, 2023
When Melanie Ratnam mentors girls in elementary school, she often sees them discouraged by the lack of women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
"STEM will lose out on talented women if we don't address the factors that deter them from pursuing these fields. It's crucial that we ensure all individuals, regardless of gender, have equal opportunities to succeed in STEM," says Ratnam, a U of T Scarborough alum.
Ratnam will be in New York for the next two weeks representing the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST). She’s there as a member of the National Council of Women of Canada Delegation at the United Nations’ annual Commission on the Status of Women session. This year’s theme is close to her heart, with discussions focused on how innovation, technology and education in the digital age can be used to further gender equality and empower women and girls.
“The digital space is shaping and changing our lives quite rapidly, look at innovations like ChatGPT,” Ratnam says. “With things moving so quickly, we need to address the barriers that women and girls face or we are going to exacerbate the gap.”