IPHES-CERCA researchers take part in various activities related to the International Day of Women and Girls in Science

As part of the celebration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, researchers from the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES-CERCA) and the Prehistory Area of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) are taking part in various activities over the coming weeks.

This year, the call for a strike in educational centres on 11 February has led to the rescheduling of many school talks, which will mostly take place between 16 and 21 February.

Below are the main activities:

Participation in the #científiques programme

The #científiques project is an initiative of the Fundació Catalana per a la Recerca i la Innovació (FCRI) and the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), with the collaboration of the Departament d’Educació of the Government of Catalonia. The programme aims to bring science closer to schools and secondary centres, highlighting the talent of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and encouraging scientific vocations among students while breaking gender stereotypes.

In 2026, the programme includes the participation of several IPHES-CERCA researchers:

• Patricia Martín: Col·legi Mare de Déu de la Serra (Montblanc). Students from 6th grade of primary and 1st year of secondary education. 13 February.
• Lucía López-Polín: Escola La Canaleta (Vila-seca). Activity within the #científiques programme, invited by the UPV. Thursday, 19 February.
• Rosa Huguet: Escola Europa (Salou). Activity within the #científiques programme. Date and title of the talk to be confirmed.

In their sessions, the researchers explain the basis of their research to students, as well as aspects of their personal and professional careers, with the aim of conveying a realistic image of a scientific career and encouraging vocations among girls and boys.

Other talks and educational activities

Several IPHES-CERCA researchers are also taking part in educational activities outside the #científiques programme:

• Marina Lozano will give the talk “Què estudia una paleoantropòloga?” at Col·legi Lestonnac de Tarragona, on 11 February.
• Amèlia Bargalló will give the talk “Arqueòlogues i prehistoriadores: nosaltres també fem ciència” at Escola Mare de Déu del Roser de Vallmoll, on 17 February.
• Maria Boada will give the talk “Un viatge per la prehistòria” at Escola Claret de Valls, on 11 February.
• Rosa Huguet will take part in the round table «Humanas: tres investigadoras de nuestra evolución» at the Centro de Cultura Contemporánea Condeduque in Madrid, on 10 February.
• Lucía López-Polín will participate in the international webinar International Day of Women and Girls in Science. 2nd edition: Conservation-Restoration of Cultural Heritage, organised by the Universitat Politècnica de València, with the talk “How and what we study to better conserve archaeological bones”, on 11 February.

International activities in Sri Lanka

Taking advantage of the stay of several IPHES-CERCA researchers in Sri Lanka within the framework of the international Archbotanka project (HORIZON-MSCA-2022-Staff Exchanges, GA 101130984), several educational activities linked to the International Day of Women and Girls in Science have also been carried out in schools across the country, with the participation of the Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB), the Fundació Jardí Botànic de Sóller-Museu Balear de Ciències Naturals (MUCBO), and the cooperative Els Corremarges.

These actions aim to bring archaeobotanical research closer to students and foster interest in science through participatory and educational tools.

Specifically, on 9 February the educational game “Archbotanka Keliya!” was presented to Year 6 (5th grade) students at Sarasavi Uyana School and Hillwood College, the latter an all-girls school in the city of Kandy. Subsequently, on 11 February, the team visited Dambana Junior School, a rural school in Sri Lanka, where the workshop and game presentation were also carried out. Finally, on 12 February, the activities concluded with another session at Kadugannawa School.

The game “Archbotanka Keliya! Descobrim l’arqueobotànica, les plantes i la prehistòria de Sri Lanka a través del joc” combines playful dynamics with scientific content to explain the role of plants in prehistory and in archaeological research.