Contaci!

Mathematics and women

Duration

50 minutes

Recipients

A young audience (12-18 years old), schools, and cultural institutions that want to raise public awareness about the gender gap and stereotypes.
Written by

Alessandra Ghiglione, Viola Zangirolami

Dramaturgy and Direction

Alessandra Rossi Ghiglione

On stage

Viola Zangirolami

In collaboration with

Maurizio Bertolini, progetto MatemACT

The research for materials and stories was aided by

Maria Laura Di Tommaso, Fabrizia Sernia, Anita Tabacco

Photography

Chiara Agostinetto

L'attrice sul palco durante lo spettacolo Contaci!

Contaci! (Count on us!) explores the connection between the fear of mathematics and the prejudice that prevents women from studying scientific subjects. The actress on stage recounts her difficulty in creating a show about mathematics, of which she has always been afraid. But…why?

The performance was created as part of the MatemACT – Playing with mathematics project, winner of the MIUR 2021 call for proposals (now MUR and MI) for projects promoting scientific culture. It is produced by SCT Centre in collaboration with Teatro Popolare Europeo for the show’s production and Il Mutamento for the distribution of the project’s performances.

 

“Breaking down gender stereotypes is not only beneficial for each of us, it is vital for the future”

– Roya Mahboob, 25 years old, Afghan IT expert and influencer.

Contaci! addresses the issue of gender discrimination in the field of sciences and, at the same time, invites us to discover them. In her journey to the roots of her own fear, Viola, the only actress on stage, rediscovers the inventions of brilliant women, the curiosity for mathematical play, and the beauty of a subject that should belong to everyone. The show uses the languages of narrative and physical theatre. The dramaturgy was created by interviewing women of science and gathering materials from students.

The performance:

  • Encourages young students to have confidence in themselves;
  • Provides tools for reflecting on gender discrimination;
  • Illustrates the biographies of great women of science of the 20th century.

The numbers speak for themselves: worldwide, less than 4 out of 10 graduates in STEM subjects—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—are women. For this reason, there is talk of a real “gender gap“, both in education and later in the workplace. There are many causes for why women who choose STEM paths are a minority, ranging from individual factors to social and family background elements. Among the individual factors are less personal motivation and self-esteem, especially in subjects like mathematics. Regarding the social and family aspects, first and foremost is the prejudice and stereotype that women and scientific subjects are not compatible. This social perception creates a sort of psychological barrier for women, who from childhood are led to feel inferior to men in these areas. The lack of role models in the collective imagination also plays its part.”

Excerpt from: “Donne e materie STEM, un altro tassello della disparità di genere”.

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