In my article I’m investigating some aspects of the life and work of the female physicist Lise Meitner (1878–1968) who in 1949 became the first female corresponding member of the prestigious and old Academy of Sciences in Berlin. In Berlin she did fundamental research on atomic physics from 1907 until 1938, most of the time together with her colleague and close friend Otto Hahn (1879–1968). After March 1938 she was forced to leave the country and finally escaped to Stockholm. In this article it will be sketched out the context of her work and life, the situation for women scientists in the world of academia, and her special role as a pioneer, as the first woman scientist in most steps of her academic career, and about her acknowledgement in the scientific community and her legacy.

Representations of scientists have been shown to be influenced by gender and racial/ethnic stereotypes, in which scientists have been typically depicted as White males. Such stereotypes can have negative effects on women and ethnic minoritized individuals' intention to participate in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The current study used a new method based on the Draw-a-Scientist task to evaluate US undergraduate students' (N = 371, Mage = 19.10, SD = 1.90) perceptions of scientists via their development of a scientist avatar relative to their explicit STEM stereotypes and color-blind racial attitudes. The skin tone selected for the scientist avatars was also assessed to confirm the utility of the Design-a-Scientist Avatar app. Preliminary results indicated that the saturation and brightness of the skin tones were correlated with scientist avatars described as White or Black. Furthermore, factors such as gender and gender stereotypes were influential for participants' likelihood of creating a female scientist, and participants' race/ethnicity, racial/ethnic stereotypes, and color-blind racial attitudes were influential for their likelihood of creating a Black or Latino scientist. The results from this study demonstrate a need for more diverse and inclusive STEM environments and potential interventions to change perceptions around scientists. Moreover, this study introduces a new digital version of the Design-A-Scientist task that can be easily disseminated to collect quantifiable data in the assessment of scientist stereotypes across broader sample populations.

This study evaluates the impact of the INFACIENCIA6 scientific coeducational programme on 5-year-old children. Using qualitative methods, including the Draw-a-Scientist Test and drawing interviews, the research analyzed children’s depictions of female scientists. The methodology involved teacher participation in data collection and a content analysis of the drawings. Results showed that over 60% of pupils could depict female scientists, with girls drawing them slightly more often than boys. However, boys focused more on scientific environments and tools, while girls emphasized teamwork. The study revealed that the teachers’ approaches, influenced by their gender-based training, significantly impacted the outcomes. Teachers who adopted a critical feminist perspective were more effective in promoting awareness of gender inequalities. The children, both boys and girls, displayed some understanding of direct gender discrimination but did not grasp the deeper sociocultural factors. Additionally, boys held a masculinized, individualized view of science, while girls also perceived science as fun and affective. The findings suggest a need for continued coeducational programs that emphasize gender equality, led by well-trained teachers.

Abstract Women have overtaken men in academic engagement and achievement at virtually all levels of secondary and tertiary education. However, despite numerous initiatives over several decades, women currently comprise only a fraction (13-28%, depending on the discipline) of those following engineering, physics and materials-science careers, particularly at the senior level. Consequently, role models for early-career female scientists are sorely lacking. Aware of these and other obstacles for women in science and having engaged with many who have faced such challenges, a group of early-to senior-career women (including the current authors) were keen to improve the situation 'on the ground' for their peers. Accordingly, meetings were organised in the UK in 2023 (Femincam, focusing on electronic materials) and in 2025 (WISPER, focusing on energy materials). In total, there were around 200 participants, mainly PhD and postdoctoral researchers, of whom 5-10% were male. We both heard about the exciting science of early-career women via talks and poster presentations and learned of the personal experiences that accompanied their creative and scientific endeavours. We hoped to find out whether career experiences could be improved and, if so, how this might be done. A wide variety of challenges were articulated, and potential solutions were discussed at both meetings. The challenges reflected existing published data, but new perspectives also emerged. In this paper, we present guidance notes, based on recommendations of and conversations with the participants at the meeting. We hope that all who are concerned with keeping women researchers in science careers find these reflections helpful and are moved to act upon them.

Although more women are entering gastroenterology and related fields (GI practice) in India, gender gaps remain in training, leadership and career growth. This Indian Society of Gastroenterology-Women in GI Forum (ISG-WGF) study examines the challenges women face in GI and hepatology and suggests practical steps to improve equity and inclusion. A structured, online questionnaire was disseminated to 4140 members of the ISG, including trainees and practising gastroenterologists. The questionnaire assessed six domains: socio-demographic data, GI training experiences, family support, current GI practice, work-life balance and gender-related career trajectory in men and women GI professionals. Of 185 respondents (response rate 4.5%), women represented 46.5%, although they comprised only 10.7% of ISG members. Women reported greater work-life imbalance (65.0% vs. 43.8%;p = 0.023), more family-related career disruptions (43% vs. 21%;p < 0.001) and higher perceived gender discrimination (36% vs. 11.1%;p < 0.001). Women respondents were younger than men (42.4 ± 16.7years vs. 47.3 ± 13.4, p = 0.032) and only 24.4% of women respondents held leadership positions compared to 45.5% of men (p = 0.004). Women scientists face career barriers such as inadequate mentorship, inflexible work schedules, limited family and institutional support and ergonomic issues in endoscopy. Solutions include mandated gender equity policies, structured mentorship, leadership opportunities, innovations in endoscopy practice and inclusive institutional reforms. Addressing gaps in GI training and practice by implementing mentorship, gender-sensitive policies and workplace equity initiatives may help improve professional satisfaction, reduce career lag and increase female involvement in GI leadership roles.

Women Scientists at the Forefront of Energy Research: Part 8

Women’s contributions to science in Africa have long been marginalized, not due to absence but because of historical, cultural, and structural erasure. Across centuries, African women have played vital roles as healers, agricultural innovators, environmental stewards, and knowledge holders, yet colonial systems and patriarchal norms devalued their contributions and excluded them from formal institutions. Drawing on insights from three papers published in the ASFIRJ special issue on women in science in contemporary Africa, this editorial highlights how African women’s scientific engagement is deeply rooted in indigenous knowledge systems that predate colonialism. Figures such as Peseshet, Fatima al-Fihri, and Wangari Maathai exemplify enduring scientific leadership across time and context. Culture, often miscast as a barrier, is reframed as a source of epistemic strength, with women’s everyday practices embodying experimentation, innovation, and ethical responsibility. Despite persistent barriers—such as limited access to resources, mentorship gaps, and gendered expectations—African women continue to drive transformative research. Advancing science in Africa therefore requires recognizing indigenous knowledge, supporting women’s full participation, and nurturing inclusive, pluralistic scientific ecosystems essential for innovation, equity, and sustainable development.

In this exciting 20th addition to the Profiles of Women in Neuroscience series by EJN, we welcome conversation with Dr. Dorothy Tse. She tells us about her early curiosities about neuroscience and how her journey formed her into the prominent memory researcher she is today. She describes the importance of collaboration and conversation in all parts of science. We also talk about her dedication to engaging community members in research and projects she has led to form those vital connections.

Recent ISRO initiatives have shifted the narrative where the prominence of women in space science is highlighted. Despite this the gender gap persists as a challenge that can impede India’s goal of becoming a space‑faring developed nation by 2047. Therefore it is imperative to achieve a diverse and sustainable talent pool ensuring equitable opportunities and participation of all. Through multimodal digital ethnography this research analyzes the media portrayals of women scientists and gathers insights from various stakeholders on issues such as media impact on personal life and in shaping public perceptions, workplace dynamics, and work‑life balance. It also reviews key government STEM policies promoting participation of women. The study proposes three policy recommendations: embed gender equity in space policy, normalize women’s roles in the sector, and promote inclusive media content.

Developing a successful STEM career requires more than luck. Globally, a substantial gender disparity persists in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Despite progress in women’s education, Nigeria still faces underrepresentation of women in STEM. Ensuring equal access to science for women and girls is vital for fostering inclusivity. This review highlights the importance of diversity and equal opportunities in STEM. Key factors for women’s success include identifying personal strengths, continuous development, effective mentoring, and networking. Women scientists can drive positive change, champion gender equality, and promote sustainable development. Breaking barriers to STEM education and leadership enhances visibility and opportunities. Creating profiles of women researchers for leadership roles, decision-making, and policy formulation is recommended. Successful women mentors should support younger ones. Mentorship, support networks, and role models are essential in increasing women’s participation in STEM, fostering inclusivity, and driving progress toward a gender-balanced scientific community.

The majority of university students enrolled in science programmes in the Arab world are women. Recent studies have attributed this rare occurrence of gender equality in science to factors such as Islamic conservatism, cultural authoritarianism and familial pressure to enter high-earning fields where women can work from home—a discourse I term the ‘techno-harem’. This mixed-methods study draws on results from a survey of 968 Arab female members of a computer science network, as well as in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 20 female computer scientists from Egypt. The interviewed scientists have lived between the Arab world and Euro-America, and, reflecting on their comparative experiences, described an ‘intellectual stereotype threat’ that women in Euro-America face, but which does not exist in the Arab world. In the conclusion of this article, I hypothesize, based on historical comparative sociological analysis, that such gendered conceptions of the mind in relation to technology have racial origins. The article proposes that racialized notions of evolution, eugenics and phrenology contributed to the establishment of a clear hierarchy of intellectual capacity, which was central to the colonial project, in the nineteenth century. Caught in this web, white women—who were viewed as having ‘smaller brains’ relative to white men—became understood as inferior at abstract intellectual tasks, such as mathematics and science. Brown women across formerly colonized countries did not suffer the same cultural downgrade. The article presents an empirical example of constitutive intersectionality, in which race, gender and technology mutually constitute one another, and in which these intersections co-create axes of both oppression and liberation within specific cultures of science.

This study analyses the presence and evolution of female scientists in research awards in Spain between 2000 and 2023, addressing under-representation and systematic gender biases that disadvantage women in the recognition of scientific achievements. Based on a unique sample of 171 different research awards in all fields of knowledge, totalling 4062 prize winners, the analysis of the 24-year time frame studied reveals an average 31.6% increase in awards to women over the period as a whole, nearing the 40% threshold for accolades received in the final years considered. This is thus similar to the percentage of female representation within the field of science in Spain. Despite this overall progress, awards for women are less prominent than those given to men, wherein they receive 39.5% of prizes for specific works, but only 25.1% of career awards, regarded as more prestigious. Until now, no study for a European country has involved the analysis of such a large sample over time as the one presented here, and it clearly indicates how gender inequalities have been progressively reduced in the more than two decades studied, but they still persist in particular in relation to the most distinguished awards. The data shown here may favour informed decision-making on the part of public authorities, encouraging greater recognition of women scientists.

ABSTRACT Research on the gender gap in STEM has primarily focused on the behaviours of girls and women in response to their environments, with little focus on the attitudes of the boys and men. We introduce the Draw‐A‐Woman‐Scientist Test (DAWST), a variant on the Draw‐A‐Scientist Test (DAST), in order to understand attitudes towards women scientists. Using a sample of 696 drawings from students in grades K–7, we analyse rubric scores for differences across grade and gender. Our findings indicate that boys are less likely than girls to depict women scientists with feminine features. In addition, girls more frequently illustrate contemporary, realistic scientists, while boys tend to portray scientists in more sensationalised ways. Few changes occur across grade level other than those associated with drawing skill level. Overall, the image of the traditional scientist (lab coat, goggles, chemistry) persists. We note implications for policy and practice, with a focus on how ‘girls‐in‐STEM’ initiatives may contribute to gender imbalances by siloing depictions of women scientists into gender‐specific programming, rather than integrating those images into mainstream science education.

Review: Visualizing Women in Science

This perspective paper explores the transformative role of women’s networks in advancing scientific leadership and gender equality in Cameroon, focusing on two prominent organizations: the Higher Institute for Growth in Health Research for Women (HIGHER Women Consortium) and the Cameroon Professional Research-Oriented Women Network (CaPROWN). The HIGHER Women Consortium is dedicated to cultivating leadership among women scientists in health research, operating a structured Mentor–Protégé Program (MPP) and specialised workshops that enhance research skills, grant writing, and career advancement in medical and health sciences. In contrast, CaPROWN adopts an interdisciplinary approach, supporting women researchers across diverse scientific fields through capacity-building, advocacy, peer-networking, and cross-sector collaborations. Both networks confront persistent cultural and institutional barriers within Cameroon’s male-dominated scientific landscape, serving as vital platforms for mentorship, professional development, and increased visibility for women scientists. This study employed a qualitative research approach, utilising participant observations, semi-structured interview with members, review of relevant literature and organizational documents that provided context and depth to the analysis. Thematic analysis identified common patterns and unique strategies that contribute to women’s research productivity, collaboration, and policy influence. Quantifiable impact is illustrated through outcomes such as grant awards, publications, and leadership appointments within health and broader STEM domains. The paper further addressed enduring challenges—such as digital infrastructure gaps and societal gender norms—and recommends strategies for scaling network impact, including partnerships with technology firms and targeted advocacy for structural change. Ultimately, this work sheds light on grassroots women in science efforts that drive gender equity in STEM across sub-Saharan Africa, offering actionable insights for stakeholders and policymakers.

Same job, different status: gender differences in societal status perception of male and female scientists

Trance channeling, a practice steeped in ancient history involving communication with deities, remains prevalent across diverse cultures. This case study examines the adaptation of a structured hypnotic protocol to explore trance channeling, focusing on shifting consciousness to allow “non-physical beings” to communicate through the participant. Utilizing a protocol developed by Pederzoli and Tressoldi, the study involved hypnosis, out-of-body experience (OBE) induction, and the transition into trance channeling. Conducted with a 45-year-old female scientist familiar with psi phenomena but inexperienced in trance channeling, the study aimed to assess the protocol’s efficacy and adaptability. Over six sessions, the participant progressed from deep relaxation to trance channeling, guided by hypnosis in an electromagnetically shielded environment, enhancing rapport and personal safety. The participant’s successful channeling of different non-physical beings highlighted the potential for structured training to develop trance channeling skills, suggesting a blend of inherent capacity and learned ability. The study underscores hypnosis as an effective tool for guiding OBEs, essential in facilitating trance states, and highlights the role of repeated OBEs in loosening ego control and enhancing awareness. Future research is encouraged to explore the link between OBEs and various psi abilities, examining demographic influences and employing brain-imaging studies for deeper understanding. This research contributes to the understanding non-local consciousness and the mechanisms enabling these experiences, setting the stage for further scientific inquiry into trance channeling and related phenomena.

The article examines the issue of gender asymmetry in the scientific community, taking into account the fact that, ideally, all scientific interactions are gender-neutral, and a researcher's status, as well as research poten-tial, should be determined solely by the value of their scientific contributions. Statistics from international organ-izations show that gender imbalances do exist in the scientific community. This forces us to pay attention to the anthropological, social dimension of science, and not just to scientific results. An analysis of statistics from UNESCO and other international organizations, as well as secondary information contained in research mate-rials, has allowed us to identify several gaps and trends in the formation of gender asymmetry: the higher the status of a group of the scientific community, the fewer women there are; female researchers predominate in education and in the public sector, male researchers dominate in in the private sector; in the fields of exact sci-ences, engineering, technology and mathematics, women scientists are a minority; The editorial and publishing policy of scientific journals records a decrease in the publication activity of female authors. The foreign re-search tradition notes the use of a separate category of “inbreeding homophilia” to describe interactions be-tween editors, reviewers and authors, which is transformed into “gender homophilia”, which negatively affects the publication activity of female authors. A panorama of ways to even out the asymmetry is recorded: from the introduction of percentage quotas for positions in the management segment to quotas for scholarship pro-grams and the establishment of a holiday – the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. These dis-crepancies indicate the need for further reforms in the field of education, research practices, mentoring, and the editorial policy of scientific journals in a digital society.

The research study focuses on girls’ participation in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) courses and the challenges they face, according to teachers’ views in Greece. This qualitative research sample consists of 12 teachers from the General Senior High School of Moires, of which 5 are male teachers and 7 female teachers. The findings indicate that, according to the teachers, girls often show a high level of interest in these courses, however, constraints such as gender stereotypes, limited female representation in science and lack of self-confidence still discourage their participation. Teachers, regardless of gender, try to overcome these difficulties through positive feedback, building an inclusive environment and encouraging the participation of all male and female students. In addition, it is stressed that raising parental awareness is of utmost importance, as family perceptions can potentially influence girls’ educational and career choices. The findings imply that although differences in boys’ and girls’ performance are not statistically significant, social and cultural factors largely shape girls’ career aspirations. Hence, strengthening girls’ self- confidence with inserting examples of female scientists into the school curriculum and promoting educational methods that highlight equal opportunities are proposed. The implementation of such practices can substantially enhance gender equality and improve the participation of all students in STEM.

The history of theatre, both as performance and academic discipline is also the history of gender exclusion. In Cameroon, though a good number of women have succeeded as playwrights and performers, the socio-political atmosphere and structural barriers have made it difficult for many to pursue a career in theatre practice or academia. This paper explores the conspicuous underrepresentation of women scientists, here defined as female scholars and researchers, in Cameroon’s theatre academia and institutional leadership. Drawing from the Social Cognitive Career Theory, the African Feminist Thought, and using a qualitative, theory-driven case study approach, the paper examines how women in Cameroon’s theatre landscape develop agency amidst cultural expectations, gender biases, and institutional barriers. It centres on the lived experiences of Emelda Ngufor Samba, the most prominent Cameroonian female theatre academic. Data were got through observation, interviews, analysis of Samba’s scientific works, published works about her, and review of her CV. These were analysed thematically and interpretively. The study found that resilience, self-empowerment, mentorship and networking, as exemplified by Samba, are some of the strategies needed to overcome systemic and gender and cultural barriers militating against women in theatre and theatre academia in Cameroon. These qualities are needed to emerge as distinguished practitioners, scholars, and leaders in Cameroon’s theatre industry. Also, to promote professionalism and encourage more women in academia, outstanding female Theatre students should be encouraged to pursue postgraduate studies, while experienced female academics should establish mentorship networks to guide and support them and junior practitioners towards success.