By EWS

Half our team we’re not even putting on the field. We’ve got to change those

numbers”.

President Barack Obama, White House Science Fair 2014

Women are underrepresented in most scientific disciplines. They only make up 30% of the researchers worldwide, and when they hold a scientific position, they face unseen barriers blocking their career progress. Thus, despite improvements in the gender balance over the past decades, the participation of women in science still lags way behind that of men.

Promoting the participation of women in science is not just an ethical duty towards girls and women aspiring to become scientists. It’s the right thing to do for all of us! It’s no secret that men and women think and work differently. Gender diversity thus allows for fresh ideas to arise. It’s a catalyst for creativity and new discoveries.

In a world facing unprecedented challenges in terms of climate change, biodiversity loss, health, and access to essential resources, we cannot keep dismissing the benefits that women can provide. We also cannot wait for the gender gap to close at the current rate of progress.

EWS‘ mission is to advance gender diversity and empower women to build successful scientific careers. Our work is articulated around three lines of action: educating on gender issues, fostering connections, collaborations, and support, and organizing events that will help women scientists overcome challenges along their career paths.

1. Educating on gender issues in science

Tackling the underrepresentation of women in science is no easy feat. The moderate improvements obtained throughout the last two decades just proved it. To address the gender issue, scientific workplaces first have to acknowledge and understand the problem. Research on the subject has never been as prolific as now. Information is thus available, but awareness of gender diversity is growing slowly. In fact, many female scientists may still have no sense of the challenges that they are, or will be, facing. According to Holly Kramer (Best & Less, Ford Motor Company, PBL, Telstra, and Pacific Brands), gender inequality awareness happens in four stages: obliviousness, denial, awakening, and advocacy.

Many scientists, be they women or men, may retire

before even reaching the awakening phase!

At EWS, we help create awareness and understanding of the underrepresentation of women in science. Our blog articles and awareness events cover the most recent scientific news on the subject. They are meant to arm people and institutions with the necessary knowledge to take actions that will improve gender diversity in science.

2. Fostering connections, collaborations, and support

Collaboration has become a necessity in the research world. It brings more and better science; and it is one of the cornerstones of career success. It also provides researchers with a support network, which is critical for their welfare, mental health, and well-being.

Yet the data are clear: Women have much fewer collaboration opportunities than men. This not only affects their productivity but can also bring a sense of isolation that can be extremely discouraging and incite them to abandon their career.

To improve women’s retention in the science pipeline, we have to help them collaborate with other researchers. EWS´s mission is to foster connections and collaborations. Our members benefit from an international support group and are offered opportunities to participate in various collaborative activities.

3. Organizing events for women´s empowerment in science

To move forward in their careers, female scientists have to overcome multiple obstacles. EWS aims to equip women with skills, awareness, and training that will allow them to jump every hurdle that comes their way. We offer our members courses and workshops with the best specialists. In addition, we organize activities for women to consolidate and navigate their career path with greater ease and success.