The phrase ‘you can’t be what you can’t see’ is something of a cliché. But like most oft-repeated sayings, there’s more than a grain of truth to it. If you’re interested in pursuing a particular passion or career path, it’s natural to look to people who are already thriving in that field for inspiration and guidance. If that area is filled with brilliant women who look and sound like you, you’ll likely believe that you might be able to flourish, too.

But if your only available role models are white, middle-class men – and you don’t tick all or any of those boxes – you might wonder whether success is really on the cards for you. That doesn’t mean that you won’t pursue your goals, of course. But it could make you feel daunted, unsupported, or even disillusioned about the path ahead.

It was a desire to raise awareness of women’s achievements in the past and present day that prompted Stylist to launch our Visible Women campaign in January 2018. And now, a new study about black women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) has highlighted how female role models can shape the aspirations of younger women.

Why visible role models are so important for black women in STEM