International Day of Women and Girls in Science is an annual observance that celebrates the achievements and contributions of women and girls in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This day recognises the importance of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in the scientific community.
To mark the occasion, we spoke to five scientists at Cellomatics to hear about what it means to them to be a woman in STEM.
Scientist 1
“At university, the majority of the department of my course was made up of women and then following into my PhD, my entire supervisory team was made up of women also. Additionally, a lot of the leadership positions within the school were occupied by women. During my time working in the NHS, once again I was surrounded by other women. I did find this quite inspirational as the predominant opinion is that women are often the minority in STEM, however this was not at all my experience in biological sciences.
“Thinking about it more deeply, at university it seemed that the women in the higher, more managerial positions did not have children. At the hospital, most of the names on the consultant office doors were men. This then brings into question whether as a woman entry into STEM isn’t an issue but is there a career ceiling for those who choose to grow their families? Will I eventually have to choose which I want more – a higher position or children? The sector can change wildly within the span of a maternity leave so does this automatically put women who chose to take time off and then likely return on a part-time basis behind? Equally, while I can only comment on my observations which are in the life sciences, I suspect this is likely not the case for women in STEM only but more likely a choice in any career path women today choose to take.”
Scientist 2
“I began to consistently enjoy science and maths more than other subjects in my mid-teens. I had excellent teachers, both male and female and a supportive family of strong women who encouraged me to be my best and pursue whatever I love. I have established my early career as a female scientist, and have regularly relied upon determination, motivation and persistence to be where I am in a fast-paced, technical environment. I am proud to demonstrate my abilities whatever the situation, be it in meetings, presentations or informal conversations.
“I feel in large part this willpower to achieve and thrive is owed to my mother’s constant support and relentless belief in me. She helped me embody characteristics I am proud of and which I think women can often be late to learn. In turn I try to help other women embody them too. Going forward, should I be lucky enough to become a mother to girls, I hope to be as much of an inspiring and confidence-boosting influence in their lives as she has been in mine.”
Scientist 3
“During my undergraduate and master’s degrees in the life sciences my peers were predominantly women. However, I noticed out of my lecturers only two were women. In fact, the entire department was made up of men. This observation continued into my early working career in industry, where I noticed that on the floor, the scientists were equal men and women. However, the managerial roles, executive roles, even the interview panels were all men. This disparity confused me as the life-sciences are often described as female-dominated fields. The question remains- where were all these women? According to the New Women in Biotech leadership report, 17-18% of CEOs in UK biotech are female.
“I believe that there is a lack of representation and limited number of women put forward as role models for upcoming women in science. A personal role model and inspiration to me is Jocelyn Bell Burnell. Although not involved in the life-sciences, her role in the scientific community and support of women in STEM is an admirable one. Despite being the first to discover of radio pulsars, it was her supervisor that was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1974. She was later awarded the US Breakthrough Prize and with the prize money went on to fund female scholarships. It is inspirational women like Jocelyn that can inspire the younger generation of women in STEM.”
Scientist 4
“From a young age, STEM subjects were encouraged and supported in school, with particular emphasis on promoting physics and mathematics to girls. Despite this, gender differences in subject choices were still evident, with females more likely to pursue biological and life sciences, and males more commonly choosing physics and mathematics.
“Throughout my higher education and scientific career, the gender gap in leadership roles has remained apparent. While my Biochemistry degree cohort was largely female, the majority of lecturers and primary supervisors were male, making it more difficult to identify female role models at senior levels. That said, I have been fortunate to work with several inspiring women in academia. Seeing their career trajectories has reinforced the idea that, despite barriers, leadership roles for women in STEM are achievable.
“Increased awareness of gender bias in research, alongside targeted initiatives such as women-only grants, professional networks, and mentorship programmes, offers some promise for improving representation and support.
“Historically, women have also been underrepresented in research and medical studies, and one of the major challenges still facing both academia and industry is closing the medical data gender gap. Reporting sex-dependent differences in research should become standard practice, as this is essential for improving understanding of female health.”
Scientist 5
“The challenges I have faced as a woman in scientific research started young with strong stereotypes – when I showed aptitude at school in biology, chemistry, and maths, I was discouraged by a lot of people from considering engineering or research-focused careers in favour of more female-dominated careers such as healthcare, nursing, and education. While it was certainly worth considering them, it made all the difference to have a chemistry teacher, who had a research background herself, make me realise that pure science was still an option for me.
“In my career since then, I have been lucky to have seen female representation in management in all levels up to and including C-suite. However, I have also seen women in management struggle with a lack of support in terms of academic funding[1] and a lack of mentorship and leadership training[2]. These pressures of systemic sexism and gender biases coupled with familial obligations with little cultural support have resulted in many excellent scientists to leave the industry before achieving positions of leadership, resulting in a loss for their employers as well; companies with gender-diverse leadership are 39% more likely to outperform non-diverse counterparts in terms of both financial gains and market resilience[3].
“Despite its challenges, working in STEM can be incredibly fulfilling. Improving logistical access for young women is as important as supporting early career scientists through mentorship and training. For me, the skills that have made the biggest difference were instilled in me long before I specialised into science subjects – having the confidence and curiosity to ask questions, to absorb information while being aware of the reliability and trustworthiness of different sources, and above all to be willing to stand up for my point of view. Despite also having experienced sexism in all stages of my career, I have found incredible career support in peers and colleagues. The camaraderie that comes from shared experiences among my female colleagues has led to some of the best working relationships in my career, and I could not imagine having a different career to the one I’ve built in scientific research.”
Support from Cellomatics
Cellomatics is committed to supporting female scientists and ensuring that all genders are provided with equal opportunities within the workplace. We are proud to currently have 58% female staff (including leadership roles) and a 0% gender pay gap, reinforced by frequent unconscious bias training.
The company is also dedicated to supporting women at Cellomatics who make the decision to have children and ensuring that they do not have to choose between their career and starting a family. Read our blog from last International Day of Women and Girls in Science where we spoke to two members of staff about their experience returning to work after being off for maternity leave to learn more.
References
[2] Breaking Barriers: Women Leadership in STEM Still an Elusive Goal | Institut de Ciències del Mar
[3] How women in leadership drive market opportunity – OMFIF
