EMPOWERMENT
EDUCATION
SXSW EDU amplifies women's voices in leadership and STEM
Emily Calandrelli for Blue Origin. Courtesy of Blue Origin.
Women have been historically underrepresented and undervalued in their workplaces, leading to an imbalance of opportunity compared to their male counterparts. SXSW EDU tackles the expansive issue of the undervaluation of women by providing sessions aimed at educating, fostering discussion, and increasing collaboration with festivalgoers.
Within the session Beyond Compromise: Mastering Negotiation to Advance Women, a panel of speakers Alberto Carvalho, Susana Córdova, LaTanya McDade, and Julia Rafal-Baer discussed the importance of leadership training opportunities for women in the workplace, emphasizing how practicing negotiation can open doors to leadership roles.
This session not only provided women in the workforce with tools to compete with their male counterparts during negotiations but also empowered those present by shining a light on the resilience required to be a woman in a leadership position. The speakers urged women to feel comfortable asking for what they want and to move away from the idea that they need permission to be assertive while negotiating. They encouraged attendees to become debate-makers, know when to use silence, and fight for their beliefs—no matter the consequence.
One of the closing remarks was that women should not simply be happy to be in the room but believe they deserve to be there. As a student and a young woman, this message reshaped my thinking. We are often told to be grateful for the opportunities we receive, implying that we don’t fully deserve what we have worked so diligently to achieve. Reminding ourselves to fill the rooms we walk into is essential. This experience was invaluable, as I left feeling empowered by receiving this advice for my future career at such an early age.
Another session at SXSW EDU was Screening Bias: Breaking Down Barriers for Women in STEM on TV, hosted by Emily Calandrelli. Calandrelli is an Emmy-nominated TV host, an author of a New York Times best-selling science book series, the creator of a globally popular Netflix show, an astronaut, an MIT graduate, and a mother. While this is a long list of grand achievements, her session focused on the societal and industrial barriers faced by women in STEM, particularly within the media.
Her bold career path has not been without failure and roadblocks—many of which were created by the long-standing system of undervaluing women. Understanding the extent of women’s underrepresentation in STEM and media is essential to initiating change and investing in a future full of female role models.
Calandrelli discussed how, as a society, we tend to focus on the outcome of women's work rather than the effort put in. This differs from how we praise men, as we often highlight their hard work. This disparity leads women to undervalue their efforts and feel less comfortable with failure, as their worth is often measured solely by their successes.
This session was inspiring for me as a student—to see someone who has faced rejection countless times yet continues to push toward her goals. Watching another woman take pride in her journey, even in her failures, reinforced the idea that the effort and passion behind a project make it meaningful. Calandrelli is a reminder to all of us young women to keep working for what we believe in.
Photos: Some moments from my experience covering SXSW EDU. From left to right: With Aja Waywood and TMN founder Pablo Herrera during TMN's presentation, Revolutionizing Media Education. A panel discussion on Beyond Compromise – Mastering Negotiation to Advance Women. A moment at the Expo with TMN teammates and Amped Art founder Ricky Kradolfer.
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