Female scientists #prettycurious about campaign aimed at young women

The path towards equality in science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) is destined, it seems, to be littered with cringe-inducing campaigns designed to appeal to women.

The latest effort is from energy company EDF, which is encouraging girls to pursue further study and careers in these traditionally male-dominated fields with a campaign called Pretty Curious. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it has attracted criticism for its seemingly stereotypical view of female scientists.

But EDF claims that the wording was a deliberate attempt to prompt conversation around sexism and science. In a statement, the company said:

“It’s not about being ‘pretty’; it’s about being ‘pretty curious’. Using ‘pretty’ is a play on words. We are using the word in the sense of ‘pretty serious’, ‘pretty practical’, ‘pretty inspired’, ‘pretty important’ and ‘pretty curious’.

“It’s been chosen purposefully to challenge the stereotypes around personal appearance that are often applied to girls. We knew the name would attract attention and chose it in order to raise awareness of the campaign, which aims to address the significant under-representation of women in Stem.”

The Pretty Curious campaign is set to host three events over the coming months and has recruited female role models working in Stem, including a cosmetic scientist, a computer scientist and a TV presenter with a master’s degree in biochemistry.

When the European Commission hit the high water mark of awkward in 2012 with Science: It’s A Girl Thing drive, it prompted such widespread derision (and excellent parodies) that the original video campaign was taken down from the site.

But with women currently only accounting for just 13% of the Stem workforce, should EDF be praised for its efforts, or has the controversy-courting name missed the point? We spoke to experts to get their take on the topic:

Helen Wollaston, director of the Women in Science and Engineering campaign, says:

“People are upset by the idea that you’ve got to be pretty to work in science, but that’s not what the campaign is saying. It’s using the word pretty to start a conversation and to attract girls’ attention and if that works, I don’t have a problem with it at all.

“The message they want to get across – which is a really important message and which I support – is that you don’t have to lose your femininity to work in Stem. And at the moment I’m afraid there is that psychological barrier, and while that’s the case, we’ll only have a minority of girls who want to work in those areas. For that reason, I support the campaign.”

Athene Donald, professor of experimental physics at the University of Cambridge, says:

“There is a real need to attract more girls into science so EDF should be applauded for trying. The name will probably pass most teenagers by, so perhaps its overtones – deemed by some to reinforce stereotypes – should be ignored.

“But even the role models they use are to some extent playing to these same stereotypes, with 50% of them reflecting ‘women’s interests’ in cosmetics and fashion. Efforts should be directed to mainstreaming and normalising the idea of girls entering the sciences from the earliest years, not singling out those who do as somehow different.”

Emily Grossman, science communicator and educator, says:

“While campaigns like this are hugely important for raising awareness, I’m not sure using the word ‘pretty’ in the title is that helpful. We really want girls to see science as an area of work that is welcoming to them whoever they are and whatever their personality is, not as something that is linked their appearance or the outward expression of their gender.

“There are jobs in science that require all sorts of personality types, that require creativity, imagination, communication skills and an ability to work with others. Some of these qualities are traditionally seen as “feminine” and the idea that science does not require, or indeed embrace, such traits is wrong, and can put off both girls and boys who see themselves as imaginative and passionate, rather than just logical or analytical.

“Campaigning to show the range of opportunities in science is the most important thing - anything that separates girls out and talks about how they look could make them feel self-conscious and put them off from engaging with it.”

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