The names of the scholarship recipients of this year's edition of the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women and Science program were announced at a gala held on November 20 in Warsaw. Among the guests were the program's partners: representatives of the Polish Committee for UNESCO, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Polish Academy of Sciences and the UN Global Compact Network Poland. In addition to the prestigious award, the awarded female scientists received financial scholarships that will support the further development of their research careers, as well as a prize of PLN 15,000, awarded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
Inequalities still present
With increasing social problems emerging in our reality with greater intensity than ever before, women's participation in science is crucial. Gender diversity in research teams positively affects creativity and problem-solving efficiency. Limited representation of women in science can therefore slow down the development of research perspectives and innovation.
Women are still in the minority in technical and engineering disciplines, as the percentage figures for female academics show. In Poland, men make up more than 40% of academics in medical sciences and health sciences, while women make up only about 27% of academics in engineering and technical sciences. The lowest share of women was recorded in astronomy (25.9%) and physical sciences (22.6%).
All indications are that, despite progress in some fields, many areas of science are still male-dominated. A report prepared by the Information Processing Center (OPI) and commissioned by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education clearly emphasizes that the share of women in the sciences and natural sciences has increased slightly from 41.7% in 2019 to 42.9% in 2022. While this increase indicates some progress, it is relatively small, confirming that there is still a strong male dominance in these fields (56.9% in 2022).
For L'Oréal, science is a great value, and innovation in the world of science cannot be carried out without the presence of women. Supporting the development of female scientists and promoting diversity in research teams is one of our priorities. That's why for more than 24 years, as part of the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women and Science program, we have supported outstanding female researchers by awarding scholarships that have already helped 129 women in Poland develop their scientific careers. We believe that enhancing the role of women in sci... To gain access to the complete English section of the Medexpress.pl, kindly reach out to us at [email protected].Content locked
