Women In STEM is a unique project engaging women and girls across the North West of England to experience and influence rail use and industry.
Download the 2020 Women In STEM booklet here: Women In STEM booklet 2020
Women In STEM (formerly known as Women Who Wander) is a campaign promoting STEM careers within rail to women and girls. Women and girls from across the region are invited to submit creative entries to reflect their views on railway travel, use or employment.
Transport across the country and the North is heavily male-dominated, and we aim to shift this dynamic by engaging, inspiring and influencing young women to pave the way for the next generation. This project aims to raise awareness of the gender imbalance in rail and give the women and girls who participate an opportunity to enhance their creative and life skills. It will also give them a valuable experience in influencing transport groups across the country to create change, as well as demonstrating to other young women that their views are valid, and that they have a place using and working within transport. The whole project culminates with an event at The National Railway Museum in York where the winning entries will be announced with some spectacular prizes awarded.
To enter, you will need to:
- Create a piece of writing, photography, artwork or video reflecting your views on railway use or employment.
-Submit your entry via email to [email protected] with the email title “Women in STEM Competition Entry”.
-Submit your entry by 14th February 2020.
As part of the campaign, participants are encouraged to join us by taking a train anywhere on the Northern network to engage in focus groups and begin, or form ideas for, their entry. In the past, we have worked with a number of education facilities and groups to enable women and girls to experience rail travel and facilitate discussions and activities around these journeys. All travel is free of charge.
Possibilities include, but are not limited to;
• Presentations by rail and community rail staff in-school/to groups.
• Trips to a location by rail as chosen by teaching staff/group leaders.
• Networking events with women currently working in rail and STEM roles.
• Trips to museum locations across the north, including the Museum of Science and Industry.
• Trips to exclusive venues such as Elizabeth Gaskell’s House.
We are happy to work with your staff to ensure any curricular needs are fully met. We are also flexible with time commitments that staff or participants are able to giver us, as we know many groups and education facilities have little time to spare. All our staff hold full clear enhanced DBS certificates which can be shown to relevant staff.
The winning entries will be compiled and distributed to education facilities, train operators and to other transport providers across the country. Booklets are also available in relevant train stations for the public and can be provided upon request by any interested person or group.
For more information on organising a group journey to any station on the Northern network for your school or group, please contact us at [email protected]
The Women Who Wander; North West 2018 booklet can be downloaded here - Women Who Wander Booklet
The Women Who Wander 2019; A Female Future booklet can be downloaded here - Women Who Wander 2019 Booklet
This project was funded by the Designated Community Rail Development Fund, Arriva Rail North’s Seed Corn Fund, Transport for Greater Manchester’s Small Grant Fund and Women in Community Rail.
We are delighted that Women Who Wander 2018 took first place in the ‘Best Community Engagement Project’ category at the 2018 Community Rail Awards!