Women Belong In Science

What fascinates me most about doing science is the opportunity to look for answers to the questions that remained unanswered for ages. The ability to satiate your curiosity and at the same time experience the thrill of new findings is what keeps me going. Besides, women are inherently bestowed with the qualities to be multitasking, patient and resilient, which are the important skills for being successful in science. Planning experiments is no less than art and anticipating the outcomes is indeed a boost to my creativity and imagination. Thus, my workbench is my happy place that gives me freedom to explore a world of my own, devoid of boundaries.

Women bring emotional intelligence to research, as they are much more emotionally available to peers, colleagues, and students. Research can be stressful for many reasons - sometimes, causes are not directly work-related. It is important to identify and acknowledge it, and a strictly clinical approach to alleviating these stresses may not be entirely ineffective. However, perspectives gained from being more emotionally invested cannot, and should not be shunned as being unnecessary to a research space. Women bring these perspectives and help to create overall happy labs, and therefore do great research!

“When asked about why women should pursue science, the immediate response that came to my mind is ‘Why not?’ They should be considering it for the well-being of the whole community.

A system will be complete and progressive only with a comparable number of young women, as seen in most of the developed countries. Women possess a unique natural outlook and insights to offer upon scientific exposure and can mould a system to its finest level.

At the same time, young women are front-line workers when it comes to shaping future generations, and can inculcate scientific thought process to change the outlook of communities as a whole. With existing hurdles and problems, we are remarkably progressing towards this change and I am hopeful to witness it soon.”

"Science fascinates me, it teaches me to live with a purpose and to be responsible to preserve the world around me. I feel fulfilled by understanding the science behind everything and am often amazed by exhilarating scientific discoveries.

Studying science enables us to live in harmony with nature, despite its unfathomable complexities. Women, being creators of life, have the intrinsic ability to appreciate science and lead the way. When it comes to making a career in science, the transition from a student into a professional is not smooth, especially owing to uncertainties in current programs for women in science. As women, we still get accommodated in science in a way that suits the system. We still make great academicians, scientists and take up leadership responsibilities. I sincerely hope that policy makers supporting gender equity in science will come up with interesting programs to create better options without gender bias. If we stress upon how hard it is to climb the uphill terrain, we should also emphasize upon how enjoyable and experiential it can be!"

"Why should young women pursue a career in science? Because science is really fun! It is exhilarating to find questions that are unanswered or unsolved mysteries in nature, and poke at them to make a small dent in the problem each time. Think of asking a question for which the answer can’t be found in books, or on Google! Being a scientist also gives you an analytical perspective in other areas of life – for example, building a mathematical model to help you pick apartments."

“Why women are good for science - With an intricately connected brain – intuitive, creative, good at processing large data and drawing meaningful conclusions – women are wired to be brilliant scientists. Adorned with nurturing compassion, women make excellent mentors.

Why science is good for women - A career in science research offers work-life balance, flexible work timings and opportunities to travel with tiny tots (most conferences offer childcare support). Impressive funding opportunities support women to pursue higher studies in STEM and return to STEM research after career breaks.

Science is ready to receive us, are we willing to embrace it?”

It was November 2012, I was in the fourth year of my PhD when Aung San Suu Kyi visited the Indian Institute of Science campus to interact with students; to find a simple take-home message for her country, then newly democratic Myanmar. Her opening words were simple, curiosity is basic to human nature, irrespective of religion, race, and language, and that all humans should be free to ask "why". It is through her words that I first found out the "why" behind my PhD. It was curiosity to know more, a compulsion to find answers, to train in methods that with consistency and the right approach would lead me to the answers. Like Suu Kyi rightly recognized, scientific methods are but ways to answer questions ranging from the mundane to complex - perplexing, troubling, sometimes nagging, keeping us awake at night. Isn’t it then appropriate that all of us train in science and have fun resolving the complex riddles posed by the natural world? And if it is basic to human nature itself, why should women be denied the exhilaration of freeing their minds by answering their "why"s?

"To answer why women should pursue a career in science, I must ask - what stops women from doing anything they want? There are no 'male' and 'female' career paths, only mindsets that limit us. I chose science because of the freedom of thought and creativity. A scientific career teaches you to be analytical, patient, inquisitive and unbiased. It can propel young women to be independent, fearless to question and voice their opinion. You can be whoever you want. You can be a Rockstar, you can head a lab or a company, and still fix that leaky tap in the sink! The canvas is wide and you can be any character that you want to paint."

"The so-called pandemic year has highlighted the need for evidence-based research and placed scientists at the forefront of discoveries and technological solutions to challenging societal problems. This is an exciting time to be a scientist and it has become even more relevant to engage and bring diverse teams on board to tackle the seen and the unseen problems of the world through a scientific lens.

Science is for anyone who is curious about solving complex problems through logic and data-driven reasoning and wishes to become independent in every sense of the word.

It is especially crucial to encourage and recruit more women in science to bring new perspectives and dialogues in the field, as well as to redress gender related biases."

"Since childhood, I have been fascinated with pursuing a career that would positively impact society and serve mankind. During my higher studies at the university, the need to prevent diseases, and design therapeutics with minimal side effects, motivated me to pursue my career as a molecular biologist. @iiscbangalore and @ncbs.blr gave me opportunities to hone my expertise and inspired me to continue my career in academia. I should say that the a career in research is challenging, especially for a woman, but if you have the passion and perseverance to continue, it's a highly satisfying career in the long run as every discovery helps to create a better world.”

"The pursuit of science develops in us a mind that is grounded in reason and knowledge. It instills in us a wonder and appreciation of the universe and this pursuit is our birthright. Women should take a deep interest in basic sciences and engineering through their school years into university as it will open opportunities to work in national laboratories, teach at universities, work for technology companies, and build international collaborations. I am hugely optimistic about women flourishing in science and engineering and achieving economic independence, raising healthier families, and thus, building a stronger nation and better world."

There are three reasons why women should consider a career in science. The first is existential - over the next few decades, scientific knowledge will be critical in developing the solutions we need to persist in the face of converging global challenges such as pandemics, climate change and ecosystem degradation. The second is personal - science allows us to immerse ourselves in an exploration of what interests us, while teaching us to think critically and creatively and to learn from failure. The third is generational - women scientists often have to balance care-giving with the demands of research and teaching and therefore have an important part to play as role models and mentors.

"Women are naturally endowed with problem-solving skills, patience and perseverance which contributes effectively to unravelling the mechanisms of the mysterious universe. Scientific endeavours foster a woman’s overall growth and development and in turn, allow her to unleash her creative and imaginative potential necessary for scientific advancements and a healthy ecosystem."

"Individuality, talent, and hard work, irrespective of gender or race, will always conquer conscious and unconscious biases in our societies. Diverse teams create the best solutions and the low participation rate of women in the sciences is holding back progress. We need expert scientists and engineers from around the world to find solutions in critical areas, such as, renewable energy, climate crisis, pandemics, space exploration; so that humans can continue to thrive sustainably while expanding our understanding of the natural sciences. This journey is not only meaningful but also an enjoyable one and I especially invite young women to join me!"

Science is a journey packed with excitement, adventures, successes and failures. Perseverance, hard work, determination and the ability to learn from the mistakes are some of the lifelong lessons that you learn over this journey. These are important assets for today’s young women, and they drive us to be self-reliant. The contributions that we make here will survive forever as inventions, as discoveries, as theories and as principles. Today, Science needs determined scientists, who are ready to care for the field and pursue it as a commitment.

My motto is - make science a part of your life, and make yourself a part of science!