International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day is celebrated globally on March 8th to acknowledge the political, economic, social, and cultural achievements of women, and to also recognize the actions needed to eliminate the gender gap. This year, The United Nations selected the theme “Women in Leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world.”

The gender gap for women in leadership roles in STEM still pervades. Women account for 50% of medical school applications yet they only account for 16% of Deans and 15% of Department Chairs. The problem seems to lie in the recruitment, promotion and retention of women for these roles. Since decision-making is held by men, unconscious bias could influence their choices. It is imperative to give women a platform and opportunities to share their ideas and support them.

However, women have made strides and are being recognized for their contributions. In 2020, Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. They discovered gene editing scissors, CRISPR/Cas9, which permits scientists to change the DNA of plants, microorganisms and animals. This will revolutionize science and could be used to help edit the genes of  inherited diseases and even HIV and cancer. This was the first time in the award’s 119-year history that two women won the prize.

Source: Scientific America Blog “Why Aren’t There More Women Leaders in Science?”

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/voices/why-arent-there-more-women-leaders-in-science/