Globally, women are grossly underrepresented in scientific research and development. Credit: Bigstock
URBANA, Illinois, Mar 17 2021 (IPS) - Over a month ago, the world celebrated the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. But the celebrations ring hollow when there’s still been no meaningful progress in the representation of women in the research sciences field. At present, less than 30 percent, of scientific researchers worldwide are women, a percentage that has been the same for almost a decade.
Despite this lag in progress, consistently, and predictably so, from the United Nations, to professional societies, to Universities, there is often the message shared that “Every girl can be a scientist”. As a woman scientist, who is very lucky to be in science, because, without luck, and I mean, nature’s luck, I would never been a scientist, I know this statement isn’t true right now.