Why are women under-represented in science-based careers?

Despite this progress, female scientists continue to face challenges when it comes to the workforce and as such support is vital, said Alexandra Palt, the executive vice president and chief of Corporate Social Responsibility at L’Oreal.

“I believe it is important to support women in science because, simply, the world needs science and science needs women. This is true all over the world, including in the MENA region. Even though progress is noticeable, this evolution is still too slow, important barriers persist, and the glass ceiling remains a reality in research. Women’s access to the highest level of responsibility and recognition is still rare and they continue to be largely underrepresented in the STEM fields,” said Palt.

“In the various MENA countries, while gender parity is almost reached at the PhD level or at the start of a scientific career, there are still strong disparities to be observed depending on the countries and the disciplines. This is not just a problem for women: this is a problem for research in general. To be relevant, research has to be inclusive and needs all its talents to be mobilised,” added Palt.

It is within this context that the Fondation L’Oréal and UNESCO hosted the first For Women in Science Young Talents Awards Ceremony for MENA on the International Day for Women in Science in February. In the event, held at Expo Dubai, 14 Arab women scientists were recognised for their research.

One of the award recipients was Halima Alnaqbi who won for her research on enhancing the existing organ transplantation system to include Arab ethnic groups.

Speaking of the challenges she encountered as a female scientist in the region Alnaqbi said: “Although the number of women in science has increased, there are still different challenges that can be intimidating when considering a career after college, especially for Arab women. I believe two main challenges are lack of confidence and mentorship.”

“Unfortunately, many women working in science do not have mentors to whom they may ask questions, learn more about their professional path, or seek guidance when they are feeling lost. For example, many first-generation university students may not know anybody in the field they want to pursue or may not have any kind of support system at all which is why the L’Oréal–UNESCO for Women in Science Middle East Regional Young Talents program is an excellent platform,” she continued.

Coronavirus exacerbated the challenges faced by women scientists across the globe.

“The pandemic, without a doubt, has had an immediate negative impact on academic research activities and the researchers who conduct it, from laboratory closures, social distancing policies and travel restrictions,” said Alnaqbi.

“Given the additional pressures placed on early-career female researchers, it is unsurprising that their productivity decreased, particularly for mothers. This, combined with the increased stress caused by a lack of separation between home and work, has resulted in a decline in academic productivity for women,” she added.

Alnaqbi acknowledged the mismatch between the percentage of female graduates in science and the number of women scientists in the workforce saying: “I am certain that Emirati female students value science and believe in its potential, as the UAE’s share of women enrollment in higher education is among the highest in the world. However, and despite all the encouraging initiatives from the UAE government, many of these talents do not enter the workforce, most likely due to the misconception that a career in science is too demanding.”

She had the following advice for aspiring female scientists in the region: “Indeed, conducting research in STEM is difficult, as most experiments fail. Nonetheless, you must be passionate and intrinsically motivated to persist and look at failure as a learning opportunity.”

“A career in science may not be easy, but it is well worth the effort. I had the privilege of learning from genuinely exceptional female mentors. Hence, I would advise female high school students to proactively seek out successful female scientists with whom they resonate so that they have role models to look up to,” she continued.