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Who is Hypatia

Hypatia of Alexandria is considered by many to be the first notable woman in mathematics. She was also an inventor, astronomer, philosopher and university teacher. It is believed she was born between 350 and 370 AD and died violently in about 420 AD. She was Neoplatonist philosopher discouraging mysticism while encouraging logical and mathematical studies. Hailed as a “valiant defender of science against religion,” she was often blamed for religious turmoil and some suggest her murder marked the end of the Hellenistic Age.

“Hypatia's father, Theon, was a distinguished mathematician and astronomer at the Museum and so Hypatia grew up in an atmosphere of learning and exploration. Theon was an unusually liberated person in a time when men dominated the intellectual world. He encouraged his gifted daughter to develop her mind and, thus, helped her acheive academically what no woman previously had. In fact, Theon closely supervised Hypatia's education and, acting as her tutor, he passed on to Hypatia his own love of math's beauty and logic. In addition to her mathematics training, Hypatia also received a thorough formal education in the arts, literature, science, and philosophy. According to legend, Theon was determined that Hypatia develop into a "perfect human being," which is remarkable since during this age women were often considered to be less than human.” (From The Life and Legacy of Hypatia by Danielle Williams)

"Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all." Hypatia

Women in Science, Trades and Technology

The Hypatia Association is a not-for-profit women’s organization based in Nova Scotia. We promote the full participation of women in non-traditional training and employment in science, trades and technology.

We work directly with community organizations, employers, educators and government agencies and to address the policies, systemic barriers, and institutional practices that limit the participation of women in these fields.

Why women?

At a time of increasing skills shortages and a declining labour force, women trained in science, trades, and technology represent an important, untapped resource.

While women constitute about 48% of the workforce in Nova Scotia, they are seriously under-represented in science, trades, and technology. We believe that differences in the participation rate of women and men in these areas have more to do with cultural perceptions, stereotypes, and expectations than with ability or competence.

The Hypatia Association works directly with employers to design action strategies to achieve employment equity goals. We also work closely with educational institutions to help build their capacity to create cultures and learning environments that are welcoming to women in non-traditional fields.

Women Unlimited is an innovative project sponsored by Hypatia and the WEE Society, (link here to weesociety.ca) encourages women to explore, prepare for and maintain employment in science, trades, and technology. For more information about Women Unlimited, click here.

If you’re an employer and want to learn more about the services we can offer you, click here

Benefits of Women in Science, trades and Technology

The benefits of workplace diversity in trades and technology are well-documented and include:

• enhanced productivity
• solution to skills shortages
• access to a broader base of talent
• increased employee satisfaction and retention
• stronger financial performance