Today, February 11, is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. A date to celebrate advances, but also to reflect on the difficulties that persist. And, more importantly, a date to propose new actions that continue to transform this reality and give visibility to female scientists.
Science has gained great prominence recently, especially in the context of the pandemic and the evidence that it is a key to guaranteeing the right to life. We witness important and necessary discoveries on the one hand, accompanied by the growth of denialism on the other. We have seen the effort of researchers, but, without a doubt, the commitment and dedication of women scientists deserves to be highlighted.
The female gender has been in Science for a long time, but for a long time it was invisible, even when women were responsible for great discoveries. But that is changing, as some of the most important studies to fight the coronavirus have come from women, who are also the majority on the front lines of care for patients with covid-19.
Among the most relevant discoveries is the work of Dr. Katalin Karikó, whose studies of more than three decades with RNA (ribonucleic acid) led to a technology applicable to vaccines for covid-19. Another highlight is Dr. Sarah Gilbert, a researcher at the University of Oxford and the main person responsible for the development of another immunizing agent. In Brazil, studies of this vaccine were conducted by Dr. Lily Weckx, who together with her team at Unifesp coordinated all the data that led to the phase 3 studies and the registration of the Astrazeneca vaccine by Anvisa. Also in our country, we have the essential work of Dr. Ester Sabino who, with researcher Jaqueline Goes de Jesus, made it possible to identify and sequence the first Sars-Cov-2 that arrived in Brazil.
However, it was also in the pandemic that women scientists experienced their greatest difficulties. The double or triple working hours began to be accompanied by another harsh reality, that of isolation. Some recent findings by MaternaCiência, a group of women who combine scientific work with motherhood, show that women researchers lost positions in relation to the number of published works and, compared to men in the same period, also had more delays in completing their studies. theses or scientific articles.
Reports show the infinity of tasks that women are subjected to due to the need for distancing, little help in family and domestic work and in caring for their own health. Difficulties always present in the daily lives of women who work and stand out, but which became much more evident during the pandemic.
Scientific work requires concentration and hours of dedication to experiments or rigorous procedures, reading, fieldwork and research in collections, depending on the area of ​​knowledge. And this should not represent a priori a sentence of incompatibility with motherhood and family affairs. However, discrimination is present in the academic environment as well as in society as a whole.
Even in the face of these mishaps, the role of women has grown in almost all areas of research and they currently represent 54% of the population working in the national science and technology system. However, only a small number assume leadership positions. In fact, the higher the ranks, the fewer women are seen. For example, among CNPq researchers, although the number of women has increased, less than 40% reach the highest level of the rigorous evaluation system.
With more than 70 years of foundation, it is noteworthy that the CNPq has not had women in its presidency, as has several funding agencies, such as Finep and FAPESP. In the rectors of federal universities, currently, there are only 13 rectors among the 69 universities, occupying, therefore, less than 20% of the positions. Among the state universities in São Paulo, only USP has had a dean in more than eight decades of existence. There are countless command positions in the academic system that need to be open to the participation of women.
On an international level, many remember Marie Curie, responsible for the discovery of radioactivity and who stood out as the first woman to receive two Nobel Prizes in areas of Science, a prestigious award with more than 120 years of existence. However, in more than a century, the situation has changed little in this award. Only 23 women have been laureates in science (excluding Literature and Peace prizes) in the entire history of the Nobel. Surprisingly, the years 2016 and 2017 passed without any women being awarded.
This does not mean that women scientists have failed to make great contributions throughout history. The list is long, just to mention a few: Ada Lovelace in mathematics, Nettie Stevens in genetics, Luise Meitner in physics, Rosalind Franklin in genetics and Katherine Johnson in mathematics. In Brazil, many historical researchers stand out, such as Nise da Silveira in psychiatry, Carolina Bori in psychology, Bertha Lutz in biology, Elisa Frota Pessoa in physics, Elsa Gomide in mathematics, Niede Guidon in archeology, Berta Becker in geography, Maria da Conceição Tavares in economics, EmÃlia Viotti in history, Lélia Gonzales in anthropology, Heleieth Saffioti in sociology and so many others that deserve to be mentioned and have their stories published.
The creation in 2015, by the UN, of the Day of Women and Girls in Science allows us to celebrate the achievements of women scientists and, with that, encourage today’s girls to pursue a scientific career.
In the contemporary world, women are everywhere, they work to make a difference, they can and should be at the forefront of many activities, using their analytical, intellectual and connective capacities. But there is still a lot to be done to increase the incentive and its visibility. It is necessary to walk side by side with fellow scientists, and to value and respect women in leadership positions.
SoU_Ciência celebrated the International Day of Women and Girls in Science with the representation of researchers from the center and scientists from different areas who participated in a live broadcast to show the incredible work of some women scientists and researchers who acted to fight the pandemic, such as doctors Ester Sabino and Gulnar Azevedo; to analyze and fight social inequalities, structural racism and the place of black men and women rights in our country, like Nilma Lino Gomes, to analyze political polarization in Brazilian society, like Esther Solano, and to express the passion for science and the support to make it viable, like Luiza Helena Trajano.
Allied women, speaking from different places and stages, working together to advance their careers and creating opportunities for other women through an important network of relationships. Talking about maternity and research, and the creation of strategies to guarantee equal rights and access.
It is necessary to recognize and intensify the formation of networks that help women to break down barriers and increase connections between all researchers so that, together, they act for Science, Culture and all human formation.
Further debate and the formulation of public policies that guarantee science training for girls is essential. With this, we will not only be fulfilling goal number 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aims at gender equality, but we will also create spaces for the future to belong to our women and girls scientists.
