February 11 marks the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. As the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and UN Women are recognising female scientists who are working to reduce risk and build resilience in their communities.
From doctors to science communicators, pathologists to tech innovators, women are playing a critical role in building understanding of the virus, developing techniques for testing and treating patients, and using tech and innovation to share credible information that counters the spread of misinformation.
This kicks off the Women’s International Network for Disaster Risk Reduction’s (WIN DRR) month-long campaign celebrating the role that women are playing in the fight against COVID-19. In the lead up to International Women’s Day on March 8, WIN DRR will be profiling a wide range of women leaders who have been working to reduce the impact of COVID-19, and support resilience and recovery in their communities.
WIN DRR is a new programme supported by the Government of Australia and UNDRR that promotes women’s leadership in disaster risk reduction. Join WIN DRR on Twitter or LinkedIn. If you are, or know, a woman who should be profiled in this series, we’d love to hear from you.
Aotearoa/New Zealand: “There are plenty of women who want to have jobs in science,” says Dr Siouxise Wiles, “but often the environment that they're moving in is not a supported one.”
Aotearoa/New Zealand: “There are plenty of women who want to have jobs in science,” says Dr Siouxise Wiles, “but often the environment that they're moving in is not a supportive one.”
Dr Siouxsie Wiles MNZM is a microbiologist and science communicator based in Aotearoa New Zealand. Her specialist areas are infectious diseases and bioluminescence.
“More women tend to leave academia because it's not a great place to work and there are systemic barriers and sexism that goes into who gets grants, who gets to publish in certain journals and who gets cited,” she says. “All of those kinds of things actively push women out.”
Dr Wiles has a public profile in the media for her concise and fact-based explanations of complex science subjects. Despite the positive responses she has received, she has faced a significant amount of online abuse.
“Clearly both my identity as a woman and having pink hair are very challenging to some people who say, ‘You are not what an expert should look like,” she says.
She says that women and diversity more generally in science will bring different characteristics and change the way people think about evidence-based approaches in science and public policy.
“It does feel like women bring a little bit more compassion,” she says. “I think we've seen this in leadership roles in countries that are dealing well with COVID-19. It’s not an inherently feminine trait, men can be compassionate too but they seem to be in the minority when we look at world leaders.”
Dr Wiles is the head of University of Auckland's Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab in which bioluminescence is used to advance the understanding of microbial infections such as food poisoning, tuberculosis and hospital superbugs. She works with the Spinoff and cartoonist Toby Morris to produce popular and accessible animations with COVID-19 messages.
©Arvid Eriksson
Philippines: “At this time of the COVID pandemic, let us set aside politics, our selfishness, pride, envy, fear,” Pamela says. “Let us think not only of ourselves but also of our loved ones and the community.”
Pamela Grace P. Español-Solano is one of nine female doctors volunteering at a COVID-19 facility in southern Philippines.
“We encountered and overcame a lot of challenges,” she says. “We can just imagine the women who are subject to domestic abuses during the lockdown and “enhanced community quarantine”.
©UN Women/Louie Pacardo
Thailand: “I believe that women can make a meaningful contribution to society through technology,” says Ramida. “We should have more diversity in the tech industry.”
Ramida Juengpaisal is a 24 year old digital product designer and front-end developer from Thailand.
“For too long, the STEM fields have been shaped by gender biases that exclude women and girls” she says. “There are a lot of women working in the tech industry, but they don't have platforms to show their potential. Despite this, women and girls are pushing the boundaries every day.”
©UN Women/Deachawat Sriolankul
Nepal: ‘It is quite a challenging time for us,” says Dr. Runa Jha. “In many other countries, they have well-established labs with experienced scientists who have spent almost an entire life in the field. Nepal has limited resources, but we are trying hard.
Dr. Runa Jha is the Chief Pathologist and Director at the National Public Health Laboratory in Nepal, which is linked with 277 government laboratories across the country and is the only lab authorized to conduct COVID-19 testing. Jha, along with 67 team members, is playing a crucial role in the front-line response to COVID-19.
©UN Women/Runa Jha
Social media collection for WIN DRR
11 February 2021
International Day of Women and Girls in Science
Together with our partners:
UNDRR, UN Women, DFAT