Joint Webinar: “Challenges, Policies And Opportunities To Implement Gender Equality In Basic Sciences”

30 of May the European Platform of Women Scientists (EPWS) and the COST Action VOICES (Making Young Researchers Voices Heard), under the auspices of IYBSSD2022 (International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development) organized the webinar “CHALLENGES, POLICIES AND OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPLEMENT GENDER EQUALITY IN BASIC SCIENCES – A key factor to build up excellence in the scientific landscape”.

The basic sciences or fundamental sciences are for disciplines such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology, which aim to understand natural phenomena. Providing knowledge and aiming at answering questions, basic sciences are crucial aids for research applications to find solutions in all areas of our lives, including issues related to sustainable development. According to EU data, basic science remains a male-dominated field, with a very low presence of women, ranging from 5 to 15%. Thus, in line with EU policies for the coming years, there is an urgent need to bridge this gap through structural and cultural changes. It is necessary to note that EU policy on gender equality in research is aimed at all fields of science and therefore does not address specific issues concerning the problems and gaps of the male-dominated basic sciences. The session aimed critically address the challenges and problems due to gender discriminations faced by young women scientists in the basic sciences. Among the speakers were the prominent scientists such as Michel Spiro, President of IUPAP and Chair of IYBSSD2022, Ursula Bassler, former President of the CERN Council and CNRS, France and others.