The Federal government spent $37m last year keeping a 392 year old Greenland shark alive.

I will admit this is a hot take because it is solely from my perspective. But I’ve always felt that women-in-STEM organizations often create more division than inclusion. From my perspective, these groups focus more on discussing the challenges of being a woman in the industry than on engaging in meaningful technical discussions. They tend to emphasize identity over actual engineering, spending more time talking about being women in STEM than about building, creating, and innovating in ways that advance the industry. I was never involved in any girls-in-STEM organizations growing up, and when I first learned they existed, it left me with a troubling impression—that there must be some inherent reason women don’t belong in STEM and that they need to “overcome” something to succeed. That idea never sat right with me. The way I was raised, gender was never a factor in what I thought I could or couldn’t do. Gender was never something that should make me “special”. Competence should be the defining factor—your skill, knowledge, and work ethic, not your gender, ethnicity, or religion. It never even crossed my mind that certain professions were “for men” or “for women.” I never thought, Oh, I can’t be Batman because I’m a girl. It just didn’t matter. No one around me ever pointed out gender differences in that way, so I grew up believing I could pursue whatever I wanted without needing validation or special acknowledgment for being a woman in a male-dominated field. Unfortunately, these organizations sometimes cultivate a sense of uniqueness based solely on being a woman in STEM, rather than emphasizing merit and technical excellence. By creating separate spaces specifically for women, they unintentionally reinforce the idea that women don’t naturally belong in the field, as if there’s some inherent barrier to entry. But if that entire narrative disappeared—if people stopped constantly saying women in STEM, women in STEM, women in STEM—then maybe that inherent feeling of not belonging wouldn’t exist in the first place. Instead of focusing on gender, the emphasis should be on technical excellence, drive, and the quality of one’s work—because at the end of the day, that’s what truly matters. On top of that, I’ve found that these organizations can be internally hostile. Rather than fostering genuine support, there’s often an undercurrent of competition—because in an industry where women are the minority, many want to feel uniquely special. This can create a dynamic that feels more like a sorority than a professional or technical space, with unnecessary cattiness and exclusivity. The women who pride themselves on being supportive and uplifting are often only that way toward those they don’t perceive as competition. The moment another woman demonstrates technical competence, stands out socially, or even simply meets conventional beauty standards, the supportiveness fades, and the dynamic shifts. Instead of uniting women through a shared passion for STEM, these spaces often turn into silent battles for recognition, reinforcing the very divisions they claim to dismantle. But that’s another conversation for another day. In conclusion: Quit associating gender with professions and we won’t have this problem of people feeling like they don’t belong. This is just my opinion and I understand that people have had different experiences which have shaped what they believe. I have more opinions and examples but I have to get back to my homework lol.