International Day of Women and Girls in Science
The female researchers and technologists of the Singular Research Network Centers of the USC join the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, celebrated on February 11, with a video whose messages are aimed at empowering girls and young women to achieve full and equal access and participation of women in Science.
Half of the doctoral theses developed at Spanish universities are defended by women. There are no barriers, a priori, for any woman who wishes to work in some of the STEM areas (Science, Technology, Engineer and Mathematics). However, according to the data collected in the report of the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness ‘Scientist in figures 2015: Statistics and indicators of (un)gender equality in training and scientific profession’, show a very different reality between women and men as they promote in their careers. Women begin to leave in the postdoctoral stage and the gender gap throws worrisome data in positions of maximum responsibility: there are only 8 female deans in charge of the 50 Spanish public universities and they represent 21% of the professorship.
With the aim of achieving full and equitable access and participation of women and girls in Science, as well as promoting scientific vocations among the youngest, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed in 2015 February 11 as the International Day of Women and Girl in Science. The objective is to make governments and citizens aware that there is a cross-cutting problem whose visibility is already evident in childhood with the lack of self-confidence, according to a Camilo José Cela University and an OECD report. For this reason, the female researchers and technologists of the Singular Research Network Centers of the USC join this anniversary by encouraging girls in a video to study and work in Science and Technology because the research is, in short, for all the people who have an interest in knowledge.
Equality, satisfaction and curiosity
Although CiTIUS, CiQUS and CiMUS women cover diverse disciplines such as Engineering, Physics, Biology, Chemistry or Medicine, and in the video are shown researchers at all stages of the scientific career -from doctoral students to principal investigators-, all coincide in some aspects and send a transversal message: Science is an exciting long-distance race for both genders in which additional obstacles will appear for women, but with effort, confidence and curiosity as a motor, is worth it. They hope that in the short-term, girls and young women will have overcome these barriers and the full and equal participation of women in Science will have been achieved.
Participate in the video (in order of appearance): Eva Cernadas, principal investigator at CiTIUS; Beatriz Pelaz, postdoctoral researcher at CiQUS; Amparo Pérez Díaz, postdoctoral researcher at CiMUS, Dora Blanco, principal investigator at CiTIUS; Purificación Cariñena, principal investigator at CiTIUS; María José Carreira, principal investigator at CiTIUS; Diana Guallar Artal, postdoctoral researcher at CiMUS; Berta Álvarez, PhD student at CiQUS; Celia María Pombo Ramos, principal investigator at CiMUS; Lara Villarino Palmaz, postdoctoral researcher at CiQUS; Dolores Pérez, deputy director at CiQUS; and María Núñez, PhD student at CiMUS.