2025 RI Y6 GP T1 Essay Assignment_Suggested Points

Raffles Institution Year 6 General Paper 2025 Term 1 Essay Assignment Suggested Points 1 1 To what extent is gender inequality a significant issue in the world of science? (2023 RI Y6 CT) Requirements ‘gender inequality’: In the context of the question, this implies male domination of the scientific sphere. Can be understood to indicate an imbalance in terms of representation, acknowledgement, attention to women and their issues/work. ‘significant issue’: This can be understood as implying that such inequality has caused severe harm to the disadvantaged gender; also implies that the harm extends beyond women to affect the rest of society. ‘world of science’: Response should show recognition that the realm of science includes a range of aspects – students can explore gender inequality in science as a career, scientific research topics, research subjects, research publications etc. Band 4 & Above Band 3 • Awareness of the key term ”significant issue” shown by evaluating reasons why this inequality is severely concerning or otherwise • Listing of how gender inequality exists in the scientific sphere • Band 2: Hijacks the question by discussing how science and tech causes/improves gender inequality Gender inequality in the sciences is an issue of little significance a. Gender inequality in the world of science may not be as significant an issue in some societies because of historical or contemporary policies that directly or indirectly result in greater parity for the genders in science. E.g. Many Eastern European countries have a legacy of encouraging female participation in science, a result of Soviet policies that pressed both men and women into scientific careers regardless of their gender, with a large proportion of women in Lithuania, Bulagria and Latvia being engineers. Universities in Poland and Serbia were ranked among the best in the world for sexual equality in research publications. Consequently, having many female researchers and scientists has been normalised in these societies. b. There has also been a tide of change thanks to activism that has brought greater equality in the scientific community. Efforts have been made to increase the number of female scientists and researchers in labs, as well as to change the perception of women’s role in science. E.g. Advocates for having more women in STEM have been encouraging girls to develop their passion for science despite traditional stereotypes that women are not suited for the sciences, most often through the creation of organisations and new programmes targeted specifically at women and girls, such as Carnegie STEM Girls in the United States and Girls2Pioneers in Singapore. These programmes provide internship opportunities to young women, and link them to female

Raffles Institution Year 6 General Paper 2025 Term 1 Essay Assignment Suggested Points 2 mentors who can guide them.E.g. There has also been an