Women in the Media

Women in the Media

Women in science, engineering and technology are under-represented on TV and in film. The UKRC was involved in a range of initiatives to boost the coverage of women in SET in all forms of media.

• We helped journalists find interesting and inspiring women and organisations to interview
• We offered media training days for women in SET
• Our Ingenious Women helped women engineers build communications skills and experience
• We funded and work with PAWS to deliver activities that build links between TV and film media and women in SET (see below)
• We commissioned research that explores the depiction and perception of SET women in the media

Working with PAWS

The UKRC commissioned PAWS - Public Awareness of Science and Engineering - to carry out a number of events and activities aimed at building links between film and TV professionals and women in SET, and at increasing the coverage of women in SET.

• In 2005, along with other SET organisations, we sponsored a seminar exploring how to generate starring roles for women in science and engineering in TV drama.
• We went on to provide seed funding to scriptwriters, to help them develop and pitch stories for TV drama featuring women in SET.
• In 2008 we co-sponsored 'Climate Change: let the science speak', an evening bringing together women experts in climate change and leading figures from TV.
• In 2009 we co-sponsored an evening event, 'Medicines and Machines', where women in SET showcased their work, and the Director of Holby City talked about ways of embedding SET stories and SET women in TV drama.
• In 2010 we co-sponsored an evening looking at the impact of a low carbon future. The speakers were four women SET experts and Ben Richards, the writer of Spooks.
• In 2010, we also sponsored a special award at the European Science Television and New Media Awards Evening. The winner was from the Swiss German Science Magazine series EINSTEIN, featuring a Swiss woman astrophysicist as she participates in a simulation in the United States of a landing on Mars.