Our Programs & Initiatives

500 Women Scientists is a global grassroots organization with a mission to make science open, inclusive and accessible by fighting racism, patriarchy, and oppressive societal norms. To achieve our mission, our programs focus on three goals: (1) Changing the face of science, (2) Holding institutions accountable, and (3) Building collective power.

Changing the Face of Science

We are changing the face of science through initiatives like Gage, a global search platform where people seeking brilliant voices in science can discover women and gender-diverse folks in STEMM; or Wikithons where we partner with organizations to host Wikipedia Edit-a-thons to ensure the contributions of women leading in STEMM are reflected in the world’s largest free encyclopedia; or through our Fellowship for the Future, a 2-year fellowship program that amplifies the work of women of color in STEMM leading community-based projects.

Holding Institutions Accountable

We hold institutions accountable through our Policy work on the intersections between science and social justice, Sci Mom Journeys where we work to break down the many barriers that impede scientist parents from career advancement and illuminate reproductive justice challenges of BIPOC parents, and our Reproductive Justice Initiative designed to provide tools for incorporating the Reproductive Justice framework into our scientific communities

Building Collective Power

We are building collective power through our 500+Pods: our local chapters of women and gender-diverse folks in STEMM are networking, organizing, and advocating for change in their local communities from the hyperlocal to the transnational level, bringing the 500WS mission and core values to locations around the world.