As we begin Women's History Month this year, we offer a focus on women's education and women's empowerment - two connected threads that the Department of Energy has been advancing on this year. Women have made great strides towards equality in society, but they still do not hold as many jobs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as men. Ensuring America's security and prosperity is going to require a change in the equilibrium, bringing more women into STEM careers.
This goal is a deep and lasting investment into the future of all Americans. Over the last year we've announced our own Department of Energy Council on Women and Girls STEM Mentoring Program, matching females in STEM careers at the Department with female undergraduate students in STEM at colleges near our headquarters. Argonne National Laboratory hosts an annual "Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day", and "Science Careers in Search of Women" knowing that exposure to STEM dramatically increases the likelihood that young women will consider it as a career. The National Science Bowl gives exceptional girls in middle and high school the opportunity to flex their science knowledge muscles every year - look for news about the competition this April.
Our work at the Department for diversity and inclusion maintains a focus on executing the Department's mission as all employees are able to realize their full potential within our culture of collaboration, flexibility, and fairness. We seek accountability for diversity and inclusion with line and functional leaders, creating a culture that values diversity and inclusion. Perhaps most importantly, we know that to achieve this we will need continual learning, educating our own employees and the general public about the value of diversity and inclusion in the federal workforce.
As President Obama stated in his proclamation for Women's History Month, "we recall that the pioneering legacy of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers is revealed not only in our museums and history books, but also in the fierce determination and limitless potential of our daughters and granddaughters. As we make headway on the crucial issues of our time, let the courageous vision championed by women of past generations inspire us to defend the dreams and opportunities of those to come."
Visit www.WomensHistoryMonth.gov to learn more about the generations of women who have shaped our history