Women In Science Research Articles

Science communication to empower women in science: The case of Brazil

The recent pandemic negatively affected the career development of women scientists drawing attention to the need for urgent actions to ensure that gains in gender equality in science are retained. In Brazil, women scientists contributed much to the fight against COVID-19 by supplying valuable information to the media, combating misinformation and looking for ways to reduce the impacts of the pandemic in homes and workplaces. This paper diagnoses inequalities of opportunities in science and emphasizes science communication as an important tool for increasing the visibility and empowerment of women scientists in Brazil. Science communication can strengthen the visibility, presence and voice of women in society and promote equitable practices in terms of gender and race. It can also enable women scientists to work as role models for the younger generations. This paper goes beyond a brief discussion on the impacts of science communication on increasing diversity and makes recommendations to accelerate gender and ethnic–racial equity within science.

Women in science: Rising numbers but an eternal glass ceiling

This paper provides an account of my perception as a woman doing science, and examines the general situation and evolution of women's participation in science in Portugal. I will start with a slightly broader perspective, emphasizing a few global trends in women's participation in science and alluding to one persistent obstacle: gender discrimination. These trends also define the Portuguese context. Despite significant progress in opening the door to women's participation in science, it remains challenging for women to pursue a viable career path in research and ascend the hierarchy. Beyond the glass ceiling, top positions are still reserved for a predominantly male old guard. Yet pioneering women have shown that changes can happen and have opened the door for us to collectively continue this important work—something that I am proud to be part of.

Anne Laura Dorinthea McLaren DBE. 26 April 1927—7 July 2007

Anne M c Laren DBE was born into a privileged family, which affected her future in two distinct ways. Her cut-glass accent and social confidence were advantageous reminders of this early privilege, but her unrelenting rejection of it was evident in her left-wing egalitarian political and social views and actions. Anne was among the pioneers of research into mammalian development—her experiments on embryonic and fetal development in mice led indirectly to ‘test tube’ babies and contributed to our understanding of the relative roles of soma and germ cells in generating the two sexes. However, it is not only her science for which she will be remembered; her social, educational, ethical and political activities in the cause of science were paramount. She was an articulate, logical and extraordinarily confident speaker, always unrelentingly focused and thoroughly prepared. These qualities made her a formidable member of the Warnock Committee of enquiry, which generated the internationally influential guidelines on how human-assisted reproduction should be regulated. She served for 10 years with distinction on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, the UK regulatory body that resulted from the Warnock enquiry. She was a founder member, and president, of the Association of Women in Science and Engineering. Her interests extended beyond human welfare to that of animals, and she became involved with conservation and biodiversity preservation programmes internationally. She was elected Foreign Secretary of the Royal Society, the first woman to hold this office in its 332 years.

Growth experiences of the older generation of women scientists in China: Historical lessons and recommendations for women's career development

Women scientists are an important part of the community of science and technology (S&T) professionals and are an indispensable force in China's S&T undertakings. Using data relating to women scientists from the ‘Project on the Collection of Historic Data of Chinese Scientists’ Academic Life’, this paper reviews the academic growth processes of women scientists in China. It analyses the complex factors that have affected them (such as family background, education, marriage, choice of major, research environment and social culture) and sums up their experiences of success. Finally, specific measures for boosting the status and role of female S&T professionals are proposed based on the realities and problems that they face in their career development.

An analysis of factors influencing the career success of Chinese women scientists

This study is based on a literature review of three aspects of gender inequality in the field of science and technology (S&T): women being disadvantaged in S&T education, visible gender segregation in S&T occupations, and women being disadvantaged in the development of S&T careers. It analyses gender barriers and problems in the development of S&T careers and uncovers the key factors contributing to the career success of contemporary Chinese women scientists through textual analysis of the success factors for women scientists in China.

Female scientists in nano research

Female scientists in nano research

The exceptional women of MITThe Exceptions: Nancy Hopkins, MIT, and the Fight for Women in Science Kate Zernike Scribner, 2023. 432 pp.

A 20th-century battle for equal treatment of female scientists resonates today.

A PowerPack of SuperScientists: An innovative concept by African scientists to address gender bias and inequity in science.

Underrepresentation of women in scientific leadership is a global problem. To understand and counter narratives that limit gender equity in African science, we conducted a public engagement campaign. Scientists representing six sub-Saharan African countries and multiple career stages used superhero imagery to create a diverse and unified team advocating for gender equity in science. In contrast to many traditional scientific environments and global campaigns, this "PowerPack of SuperScientists" was led by early-career Black female scientists whose perspectives are often under-represented in discussions about gender equity in science. The superhero imagery served as a powerful and fun antidote to imposter syndrome and helped to subvert traditional power structures based on age, race and sex. In an interactive social media campaign, the PowerPack developed insights into three themes: a) cultural stereotypes that limit women's scientific careers, b) the perception of a "conflict" between family and career responsibilities for women scientists, and c) solutions that can be adopted by key stakeholders to promote gender equity in African science. The PowerPack proposed solutions that could be undertaken by women working individually or collectively and interventions that require allyship from men, commitment from scientific institutions, and wider societal change. Further work is required to fully engage African scientists from even more diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds and institutions in these solutions and to enhance commitment by different stakeholders to achieving gender equity in science. Our experience suggests that creative tools should be used to subvert power dynamics and bring fresh perspectives and urgency to this topic.

Screening and Evaluation of Potential Antifungal Plant Extracts against Skin Infecting Fungus Trichophyton rubrum

Pharmacognosy Research,2023,15,2,328-337.DOI:10.5530/pres.15.2.035Published:February 2023Type:Original Article Authors:Margret Kanimozhi A, and Caroline Rose J Author(s) affiliations:Margret Kanimozhi A1, Caroline Rose J2, * 1Department of Biotechnology, St. Jospeh’s College of Arts and Science for Women, Hosur, Tamil Nadu, INDIA. 2Department of Biotechnology, Arignar Anna Arts and Science College, Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu, INDIA. Abstract:Dermatophytosis is mainly caused by Trichophyton rubrum. The use of presently available conventional antifungal agents is limited due to various side-effects, requirement of long-term application, emergence of resistant organisms and cost-effectiveness. In the present study, methanolic extract of 12 medicinal plants was screened for antifungal activity against T. rubrum. To identify the phytochemicals in the extract qualitative and quantitative analysis was performed along with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). By analysing the samples using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), the chemicals that were present were identified. Among the various plants studied, the methanolic extracts of Aegle marmelos leaves (AML-ME) and Pimpinella anisum seed (PMS-ME) showed high zone of inhibition of 16 and 22 mm, respectively. MIC of both the extracts was found to be 100 μg/ml. Some major compounds identified in AML-ME with alkaloids are N, N,-dimethyl-o-(1-methyl-butyl)-hydroxylamine, 13-tetradece-11-yn-1-ol (15.21%), n-hexadecanoic acid, Propanal, 2,3-dihydroxy-, (s)-(5.22%) and 1,3-butanediol, and in PAS-ME, hexamethylene chloroiodide, cyclopentene,3-hexyl, E-2-octadecadecen-1-ol, n-hexadecanoic acid and 2-cyclopentene-1-undecanoic acid, ethyl ester. Both AML-ME and PAS-ME showed dose-dependent in vitro antioxidant activity against the radicals such as DPPH and ABTS. Also, FRAP activity was found in both the extracts. Altogether, the presence of antifungal and antioxidant activity in the AML-ME and PAS-ME might be advantageous in exploring these extracts as either alternative or complementary therapy to the available antifungal agents further. The phytochemicals present in these extracts has acted synergistically against the T. rubrum and affected its viability. Keywords:Aegle marmelos, Antifungal activity, Bioactive compounds, Dermatophytosis., Pimpinella anisumView:PDF (419.79 KB)

Making Sense of the Missionary Life of Adele Fielde, Woman of Religious Belief, Science, and Activism

This paper proposes a new narrative of the life of nineteenth-century American Baptist missionary, activist, and scientist Adele Fielde. In the common historical narrative, her separation from the American Baptist Missionary Union (ABMU) after over twenty years of mission service in Siam and China marks her shift towards careers devoid of religious beliefs, in suffrage, activism, and science. Rather than perpetuating this deconversion narrative, I propose that she demonstrated continuity in her beliefs and interests, exercised through diverse careers and starting as a missionary. By looking to biographical accounts by her friends, colleagues, and later historians alongside her writing and life, I highlight her unorthodox Christian beliefs that motivated not only her missionary life but her later careers in science and activism in the US. Reframing Fielde’s life in this way offers a more realistic model of the intertwined beliefs and motivations of female missionaries, activists, and scientists in the nineteenth century.

WISE National Conference 2023: Leaders of Tomorrow

Our goal at Women in Science and Engineering – University of Toronto Chapter is to support and empower all women in STEM fields and to help them achieve their full potential as future engineers, entrepreneurs, scientists, and leaders. Since its inception in 1999, the organization has developed into one of the largest and highly regarded campus organizations with over 1500 members to champion gender equity, counter biases, and build confidence in all STEM fields. Our annual National Conference aims to empower and inspire individuals to pursue their passions, explore new opportunities, and to make meaningful, lasting connections. One of the events we hold at the conference is the 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, which challenges undergraduate and graduate delegates to present their research in three minutes with one static slide to a non-specialist audience. This abstract book features the research that some of the 3MT competitors presented at the WISE National Conference 2023.

WISE National Conference 2023: Leaders of Tomorrow

Our goal at Women in Science and Engineering – University of Toronto Chapter is to support and empower all women in STEM fields and to help them achieve their full potential as future engineers, entrepreneurs, scientists, and leaders. Since its inception in 1999, the organization has developed into one of the largest and highly regarded campus organizations with over 1500 members to champion gender equity, counter biases, and build confidence in all STEM fields. Our annual National Conference aims to empower and inspire individuals to pursue their passions, explore new opportunities, and to make meaningful, lasting connections. One of the events we hold at the conference is the 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, which challenges undergraduate and graduate delegates to present their research in three minutes with one static slide to a non-specialist audience. This abstract book features the research that some of the 3MT competitors presented at the WISE National Conference 2023.

A woman scientist's research for quality education

A woman scientist's research for quality education

GENDER PREJUDICES TOWARD FEMALE SCIENTISTS’ POSITION IN THE FAMILY AND THE WORKPLACE

Based on the results of a quantitative survey of the subject "Gender prejudice against women in the field of science and technology" conducted by the Vietnam Women's Academy in 2021, the article analyzes gender stereotypes about the position of female scientists in the family and workplace. Research results show that the level of prejudice towards the position of female scientists in the family and the workplace is at an average level. However, a part of the respondents still have prejudiced thinking about the position of female scientists in the family as the keepers of the fire, keeping the family happy; putting family above career and in a position to support their husband's success rather than valuing their career. In addition, the research team also found some stereotypes towards the position of female scientists in the workplace such as women are suitable for professional positions, men suitable for professional leadership positions; women are more suitable for professional jobs than for management positions; Women are more suitable for deputy than the chief, especially in the fields of natural sciences, engineering, and technology.

The impact of visualizing the group on children's persistence in and perceptions of STEM

Women are underrepresented in STEM fields across the world. We investigate a perceptual mechanism that may contribute to this gender disparity beginning in early childhood. We explore how visual information about the gender composition of a group of scientists impacts children's persistence on a STEM task and their evaluations of group members. One hundred sixty-six 4- to 6-year-old children viewed one of four groups of scientists: all-male, all-female, a lone female among all-males, or a lone male among all-females. Whereas children's persistence on a STEM task did not change across conditions, their trait judgments did. Children judged the all-male and all-female group scientists as “hardworking,” but judged the lone female scientist as “smart.” However, they were as likely to judge the lone male scientist as “smart” as to judge him “hardworking.” The role of group visualization as a learning mechanism impacting children's perceptions of scientists as early as the preschool years is discussed.

A Braided River: The Universe of Indian Women in Science. By ChristopherColey, ChristieGressel, AbhijitDhillon, TanuShukla, SrividyaSheshadri, NimitaPandey, GeethaKumar, and Bhavani R.Rao, New Delhi, India: UNESCO. 2022

A Braided River: The Universe of Indian Women in Science. By ChristopherColey, ChristieGressel, AbhijitDhillon, TanuShukla, SrividyaSheshadri, NimitaPandey, GeethaKumar, and Bhavani R.Rao, New Delhi, India: UNESCO. 2022

Female scientists in infectious diseases field: working towards a better representation and inclusión

Female scientists in infectious diseases field: working towards a better representation and inclusión

Are female scientists underrepresented in self-retractions for honest error?

Retractions are among the effective measures to strengthen the self-correction of science and the quality of the literature. When it comes to self-retractions for honest errors, exposing one's own failures is not a trivial matter for researchers. However, self-correcting data, results and/or conclusions has increasingly been perceived as a good research practice, although rewarding such practice challenges traditional models of research assessment. In this context, it is timely to investigate who have self-retracted for honest error in terms of country, field, and gender. We show results on these three factors, focusing on gender, as data are scarce on the representation of female scientists in efforts to set the research record straight. We collected 3,822 retraction records, including research articles, review papers, meta-analyses, and letters under the category "error" from the Retraction Watch Database for the 2010-2021 period. We screened the dataset collected for research articles (2,906) and then excluded retractions by publishers, editors, or third parties, and those mentioning any investigation issues. We analyzed the content of each retraction manually to include only those indicating that they were requested by authors and attributed solely to unintended mistakes. We categorized the records according to country, field, and gender, after selecting research articles with a sole corresponding author. Gender was predicted using Genderize, at a 90% probability threshold for the final sample (n = 281). Our results show that female scientists account for 25% of self-retractions for honest error, with the highest share for women affiliated with US institutions.

Editorial: Women in science: Materials 2021

Editorial: Women in science: Materials 2021

Engaging the open science framework in quantifying and tracing scientists' research credits.

Preface illustration. The "first-last-author-credit" hierarchy has long been dominated in the scientific incentive system despite intensive calling for contribution-based credits (author contribution statement). In the scientific communities, senior researchers would still make a decision to recommend one's promotion based on first and last positions in authorship rather than their contributions. Similarly, in the job market, institutions would acknowledge one's credit by positions in authorship in a study for faculty recruitment, while overlooking the author contribution statement at the end of studies. Thus, the current authorship system has brought on the risks underlying authorship disputes and race/gender inequalities in credit allocation heavily, especially for early career researchers and female scientists. In addition, this is one of the major barriers to extend teamwork and academic collaboration. On the contrary, scrambling for first and last positions leads to prominent credit inflation-that is to be observed-the number of co-first and co-corresponding authors has been increasing dramatically. Thus, we shall propose a new contributionship to acknowledge the author's credit for an open science and quantitative framework to tackle these issues. Credit: ZC and XRL.