11F | International Day of Women and Girls in Science

Feb 19, 2026

Science needs role models, diversity, and opportunities from an early age. That’s why the Institute for Global Change Research Institute at Rey Juan Carlos University (IICG-URJC) is joining the 11F initiative (https://11defebrero.org/) with activities that introduce science to children at different educational levels. On this important day, the “International Day of Women and Girls in Science,” the IICG-URJC wanted to align itself with the objectives of the 11F initiative:

  • To highlight the work of women in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), creating female role models for children who can influence their choice of these fields as careers.
  • To understand the different factors affecting the current situation of women in STEM fields in order to promote practices that lead to their elimination and achieve gender equality in the scientific field.

Below, we list the activities carried out by researchers from the IICG-URJC, which were wonderfully received:

  1. “Can a red cabbage change the colour of things? It’s not magic, it’s science”. Activity carried out by researcher Julia Quintana González on February 9th at the CEIP Padre Feijóo in Allariz, Ourense.
  2. “The role of women and girls in science”. Activity carried out by researcher Isabel Martínez Moreno on February 10th at the CEIPSO Maestro Rodrigo in Aranjuez, Madrid, with 1st year ESO students.
  3. “The importance of women in science” Activity carried out by researcher Alfredo García Fernández on February 10th during classes at the URJC University for Seniors in Aranjuez, Madrid.
  4. “Coexistence of plant species in gypsum environments of the Iberian Peninsula”. Activity carried out by the researcher Arantzazu López de Luzuriaga Gamboa on February 11 in the Assembly Hall of the Manuel Alonso Peña Building of the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) in Albacete.
  5. “Genetic diversity in wild plants to support agriculture”. Activity carried out by researcher María Luisa Rubio Teso on February 11 at the CEIP Bilingüe Poetisa Celia Viñas in Fuenlabrada, Madrid, with 3rd grade Primary students.
  6. “Invisible to the naked eye: the hidden world of lichens”. Activity carried out by researchers Sandra Freire Rallo and Elena Verdugo Torres on February 12 at the CEIPSO Laura García Noblejas y Brunet in Villaviciosa de Odón, Madrid, with 2nd year ESO students.

Thank you all for organizing these interesting activities and collaborating in raising awareness of 11F.

👩‍🔬🔬 Because inspiring today is building the science of tomorrow 💜