On the occasion of the International Day for Women and Girls in Science, the Fondation L’Oréal and UNESCO have unveiled the 23rd For Women in Science International Awards, which honor five distinguished women scientists with exceptional careers. Representing every major region of the world, they are rewarded for the excellence of their research in Physical Sciences, Mathematics and Computer Science.
 
According to a UNESCO study on women in science, while the number of women pursuing careers in science is on the rise, reaching just over 33% of the world’s researchers, progress is still too slow, particularly in Physical Sciences, Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering. Only 28% of engineering graduates and 40% of computer science graduates are women.
 
“Moreover,” comments Shamila Nair-Bedouelle, assistant director-general for Natural Sciences at UNESCO, “this new study shows it is not enough to attract women to a scientific or technological discipline. We must also know how to retain them, ensuring that their careers are not strewn with obstacles and that their achievements are recognized and supported by the international scientific community. While they represent 33% of researchers, only 12% of them, on average, are members of national academies of sciences around the world.”
 
Not only is this a matter of equality, it is also a global social issue, particularly given that the Fourth Industrial Revolution, also known as “Revolution 4.0”, will be driven by these scientific fields – precisely those where women are most absent. We are already seeing the dangerous biases generated by this lack of inclusiveness: in artificial intelligence, where women represent just 22% of people working in this field, algorithms frequently lead to discrimination mechanisms. Another alarming prospect is the over-representation of all women in jobs doomed to obsolescence: by 2050 half of all jobs in the world today are set to disappear, affecting 70% of women in a country like the United Kingdom.
 
Therefore, UNESCO believes it is vital to act in favor of more inclusive research, and to encourage young girls to pursue careers in science, which too few still consider, despite being highly motivated to make a difference. Three out of four girls in Europe would like to contribute positively to the world through their jobs, but only 37% plan to pursue a career in science.
 
Alexandra Palt, executive vice president of the Fondation L’Oréal, says, “The ‘invisibilization’ of women in science is still too significant. Today, less than 4% of the scientific Nobel Prizes have been awarded to women and the glass ceiling still persists in research. We absolutely must aspire to a profound transformation of institutions, of teaching and promotion of female researchers, of the system as a whole. While the gender imbalance remains in science, we will never be able to meet the challenges of an inclusive society or to tackle the scientific issues the world is facing.”
 
23 Years of Engagement for Women in Science
 
Based on the conviction that the world needs science, and that science needs women, the Fondation L’Oréal and UNESCO are committed to the promotion of women in science, in order to render them more visible, make their talent known and inspire vocations. Since the creation of the For Women in Science program in 1998, 117 Laureates and over 3,500 talented young scientists, PhD candidates and post-doctorates have been supported and honored in 117 countries.
 
The Five 2021 Laureates:
 
1. Laureate for Africa and The Arab States
Professor Catherine Ngila – Chemistry
 
Acting executive director of the African Academy of Sciences, former deputy vice chancellor in charge of Academic and Student Affairs (DVC-AA) at Riara University, Kenya, and visiting professor of applied chemistry at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
 
Awarded for introducing and developing nanotechnology based analytical methods for the monitoring of water pollutants and applying them in countries heavily impacted by pollution. Her innovative work is of vital importance for the development of sustainable water resource management, respecting the environment.
 
2. Laureate for Asia and The Pacific
Professor Kyoko Nozaki – Chemistry
 
Professor of Chemistry at the University of Tokyo, Japan.
 
Awarded for her pioneering, creative contributions within the field of synthetic chemistry, and their importance to industrial innovation.
 
Her research has led to new, highly effective and environmentally friendly production processes to manufacture molecules useful for medicine and sustainable agriculture.
 
3. Laureate for North America
Professor Shafi Goldwasser – Computer Science
 
Director of the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing, professor in electrical engineering and computer sciences at University of California Berkeley, RSA professor of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT, United States of America and professor of computer science and applied mathematics at Weizmann Institute, Israel.
 
Awarded for her pioneering and fundamental work in computer science and cryptography, essential for secure communication over the internet as well as for shared computation on private data. Her research has a significant impact on our understanding of large classes of problems for which computers cannot efficiently find approximate solutions.
 
4. Laureate for Europe
Professor Françoise Combes – Astrophysics
 
Professor and galaxies and cosmology chair at the Collège de France in Paris, and Astrophysicist at the Paris Observatory – PSL, France.
 
Awarded for her outstanding legacy in astrophysics which ranges from the discovery of molecules in the interstellar space to supercomputer simulations of galaxy formation. Her work has been crucial in our understanding of the birth and evolution of stars and galaxies, including the role played by supermassive black holes at galactic centers.
 
5. Laureate for Latin America and The Caribbeans
Professor Alicia Dickenstein – Mathematics
 
Professor of Mathematics at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
 
Awarded for her outstanding contributions at the forefront of mathematical innovation by leveraging algebraic geometry in the field of molecular biology. Her research enables scientists to understand the precise structures and behavior of cells and molecules, even at a microscopic scale. Operating at the frontier between pure and applied mathematics, she has forged important links to physics and chemistry, and enabled biologists to gain an in-depth structural understanding of biochemical reactions and enzymatic networks.