Science sisters

US – A year-long campaign by Microsoft and McCann aims to encourage young girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths.

• The campaign was launched on International Women’s Day and highlights the work of renowned female inventors and thinkers
• According to the World Economic Forum, the gender pay gap between men and women will not close until 2133

What Are You Going to Make follows Microsoft and McCann’s 2015 Girls Do Science video campaign, in which budding female inventors outlined their ideas and ambitions.

The new film, which carries the hashtag #MakeWhatsNext, asks a series of young girls to name some famous male inventors, which they do with ease. When asked the same question but for female inventors, they struggle to name even one. Famous female names then appear, accompanied by their accomplishments, such as Ada Lovelace, who created the first computer algorithm, Tabitha Babbitt, who invented the circular saw, and Yvonne Brill, who developed rocket and jet propulsion technologies.

The campaign is backed by the YouthSpark website, which features resources to help girls further their ambitions in science, technology, engineering and maths. The website also features a patent programme to enable young women to register their inventions.