I almost cancelled my first call with Jayishni Maharaj, my fellow co-founder of the International Women in Biomechanics (IWB) group. We had already rescheduled once in support of the #ShutDownAcademia strike to support Black lives. Around the world, we were in the midst of a relentless pandemic and summer of racial reckoning. In my apartment, I was feeling the weight of imposter syndrome and unease of postdoc life. I hadn’t felt sufficiently prepared for my call with Jayishni, where we had planned to talk about our respective research in cerebral palsy. But instead of canceling the call, I was vulnerable. I admitted to Jay that I was struggling with my postdoc, that I had just received back-to-back grant rejections, and that I was feeling anxious for my future.
To my surprise and comfort, Jay returned the sentiment. Despite being on opposite sides of the world – her in Australia, me in the United States – we shared similar trials and tribulations and found immense comfort from the shared experiences of being women scientists in a primarily male-dominated profession. We thought if the two of us could have such a thoughtful and fulfilling conversation after one meeting, other women in biomechanics might like to connect too. The first spark for the International Women in Biomechanics group was ignited.
We reached out to some women in biomechanics we knew might be interested in forming a group, and on a whim decided to post on Twitter to see if we could get a few more. Sure enough, a year later we have 550+ women (and allies!) who belong to the IWB community. We have an incredible team of women volunteering their time and energy to support the IWB mission to foster an environment where women in biomechanics can gain support, advice, and mentorship. The team recently held our first anniversary meeting (which you can watch on our Youtube channel) to showcase the amazing activities the IWB team has been doing for women in biomechanics.
As I review a year of IWB, I’m most struck with what the group has meant to people, especially related to the following three themes:
1. On belonging….
“Fitting in is when you want to be a part of something. Belonging is when others want you.” – Brené Brown
We surveyed our IWB members in 2020 and 2021 and received consistent feedback – women want to feel safe and included in their work environments. Some of the biggest concerns they shared with being a woman in a male-dominated profession were related to lack of support and feelings of not being heard or taken seriously. Our respondents also expressed how grateful they were to have the sense of belonging in the IWB community Slack channel, where they can get advice and share their successes (and failures) in a welcoming space free of judgement.
2. On being there when you need it…
"When I needed it, it was like getting the advice of an older sister that I'd always wished I'd had." – The Bold Type
I know it’s a bit sentimental for a group of scientists, but I do think of IWB like a "sisterhood" for women in the field. Thankfully, our members feel the love! Here were some responses we got on IWB from our anonymous survey:
- “It's nice to feel supported outside of my program and know I have a network [of] brilliant women in biomechanics to turn to for advice.”
- “I was isolated in my team. I saw a light of strong women showing what else I could do in the future.”
- “I love that the group is just ‘there’ if I ever need it.”
- “IWB is a network of like-minded individuals who accept you, lift you up and allow you to shine.”
3. On paying it forward…
"I tell my students, ‘When you get these jobs that you have been so brilliantly trained for, just remember that your real job is that if you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else." – Toni Morrison
I often think about the “leaky pipeline” of women and underrepresented groups in STEM. So many talented individuals leave the sciences as they progress through their careers, yet those that stayed have paved the way for the rest of us. For example, at least three biomechanics affinity groups (IWB, Black Biomechanics Association, Latinx in Biomechanix) were created in the last year alone. As we advance through our careers, we will be plugging these leaks in the pipeline through continued support, representation, and mentorship. I cannot wait to see how the next generation of biomechanists reap the seeds we sow now.
Reflecting on this year, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the biomechanics community. When I was at my most isolated, it felt like I jumped off a cliff to find a web of biomechanists – each one connected by a shared interest in helping see the other one succeed. To everyone who caught me – thank you. To those still on the edge – jump!
About the author: Dr. Ebrahimi is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Mechanical Engineering Department’s Neuromuscular Biomechanics Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research interests are in understanding the mechanics driving how humans walk with a gait disorder, such as Cerebral Palsy. She is a co-founder of the International Women in Biomechanics community and is a member of The Perry Initiative Advisory Board.