A major event in the life of the international mathematics education community is formed by the quadrennial International Congress on Mathematical Education, ICME, held under the auspices of ICMI. The site of an ICME is decided upon by the ICMI EC. Moreover for each ICME the scientific program is planned by an International Program Committee, IPC, appointed by but in principle working independently of the ICMI EC. However, in order to ensure continuity and conformity with general ICMI principles, the ICMI EC normally has representatives on the IPC (the President and Secretary of ICMI being ex officio members of the IPC), one of whom is acting as a liaison officer with the Local Organizing Committee of the congress.

August 12, 2016

The ICMI-affiliated International Organization of Women in Mathematics Education (IOWME) held its quadrennial meeting in Hamburg on July 30th. Three presentations were given:

Moneoang Leshota (Lesotho):
I want to be like her: A need for mentoring for women in mathematics education research

Tamsin Meaney (Norway):
Gender-affirming or gender-neutral approaches to opening up girls’ horizons to STEM careers

Yvette Solomon (UK):
Making space for women in mathematics: One woman’s story

At least 45 people attended the meeting. Eva Norén (Stockholm University, Sweden) and Jennifer Hall (Monash University, Melbourne, Australia) were elected as convenors until the next ICME, which will be held in Shanghai in 2020.

At the meeting, we decided to try to fund a woman researcher’s ICME participation in 2020, as we did in 2016. This funding is a type of mentoring, which is an important way of supporting new women into the field of mathematics education, specifically women working in countries that still are viewed as developing countries.

We discussed the Facebook page, and want to go on problematizing research in mathematics education. We also discussed invitations of men to IOWME and the less binary position of gender issues in society today. Other issues were discussed, such as considering which countries are represented in IOWME. We look Forward to adding more members to the organization and having fruitful discussions on Facebook.

Jennifer Hall and Eva Norén

Convenors of IOWME

IOWME has two 90-minute sessions, Wednesday July 11 and Friday, July 13 at 17:00-18:30.

The schedule is the following:

Wednesday, July 11, 17:00-18:30
The current status of gender research in the field of mathematics education

17:00-17:10    Opening remarks
17:10-18:10    Guest speakers Helen Forgazs and Gilah Leder: The gender divide: Once more under the microscope
18:10-18:30    Interactive group discussions and closing remarks

Friday, July 13, 17:00-18:30
The future and the role of IOWME

17:00-17:10    Opening remarks
17:10-17:50    Interactive group discussions
17:50-18:10    Selection of a new convenor, newsletter editor, copy editor, and technology coordinator
18:10-18:30    Closing remarks and celebration