The UN initiative to promote complete and equal access to science
The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) celebrates today, 11 February, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science which for 2019 has the theme "Investing in women and girls in science for inclusive ecological growth".
Established in 2015 with a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly (UN), the day aims to raise public awareness of gender stereotypes and prejudices that can hinder female careers in STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics).
It is evident that many more girls are attending school than in the past. However, they are significantly underrepresented from adolescence onwards in STEM subjects. Therefore, one of the goals of UN Women (the United Nations organization dedicated to gender equality and women's empowerment) is precisely to dispel the myth that girls don't like science, with other connected gender stereotypes , along with investment in teacher education, technology and gender-sensitive innovation.
Furthermore, it cannot fail to be highlighted that according to recent studies by the World Economic Forum, 65% of children entering primary school today will have jobs that do not yet exist. It goes without saying that the jobs of the future will be driven by technology and innovation, and if the gender divide in Mathematical Sciences (STEM) is not overcome soon, the gender gap overall will widen.
According to data from the Unesco Institute for Statistics (UNESCO - UIS), today only 28% of researchers worldwide are women and only 20 Nobel prizes have been awarded to them, compared with 585 going to their male colleagues. As regards the apex levels of the career, the percentages drop drastically, to the point that there is even a metaphor for this phenomenon, that of the glass ceiling. Therefore, it is the numbers that make the debate on the presence of women in science and society always topical considering, moreover, that - by way of example - women earn only one new STEM job for every 20 lost, in stark contrast to men, who earn one new STEM job for every four lost.
Targeted recruitment policies, continuous training, as well as the availability of effective welfare tools, certainly lead to the improvement of women's skills and encourage their career development.
INGV participates in the 2019 Day giving the floor to five women who, each with their professionalism, fully represent the spirit and mission of the Institute: Maria Siclari, General Manager; Rita Di Giovanbattista, Director of the Earthquakes Department; Francesca Bianco, Director of the Naples Section "Vesuvian Observatory"; Francesca Quareni, Director of the Bologna Section; Ingrid Hunstad, researcher and President of the Single Guarantee Committee.
“I think that the problem of career progression no longer exists today in the clear-cut and absolute terms with which it emerged up until a few years ago,” says the General Manager, Maria Siclari. "Of course, society is still focused on male elements, women at the helm of scientific institutions in our country are still few and sometimes we have to work harder than our male colleagues but, in my opinion, the key is determination: with determination and perseverance you can get anywhere. Women today are very good, they are able to ensure the coexistence of family needs with the professional world. We have a great ability, which is organization: this very often allows us to tackle everything without too much difficulty. Personally I have been very lucky”, continues the Director, “in my life paths I have always had people beside me who have allowed me to never have to face a choice or, if necessary, a renunciation. For my part, however, I have always been very determined: when I have decided to embark on a path, especially if it is demanding, I have always focused on organization and determination, as well as on preparation and competence, and in this way my private life has no never heard from".
The Director of the Earthquake Department, Rita Di Giovanbattista, cannot help but notice that the university classrooms in the STEM area see a preponderant presence of male students, hoping that a strategy to combat the gender stereotype towards scientific research must be adopted first among young people, during upper secondary school education. "The gender disproportion is even more evident when one participates in scientific conferences or operational technical tables" - she points out - "but once I have achieved professionalism, I have never perceived any gender discrimination among the professionals". However, “a society attentive to gender equality and with efficient social services certainly helps to overcome these difficulties. The research work is exciting and women, as such, must not find obstacles in its choice".
For the Director of the Naples Section, Francesca Bianco, one of the most important lessons was discovering that a great will is often an unstoppable engine. “The advice I would give to women who want to devote themselves to research is to follow their passions, not be afraid of difficulties and always cultivate their dreams. However, I feel like highlighting a single obstacle, the unconsciuos bias, or that prejudice, I would say ancestral, that even involuntary gender discrimination by which, on a given topic, a man's opinion is perceived as more authoritative than that of a woman. Unfortunately, even an evolved environment such as the world of research is not yet immune to it".
The Director of the Bologna Section, Francesca Quareni, shares the same opinion: "Women who manage to navigate an uphill road, with curves, switchbacks and deep holes, who often have to reconcile work and family, who don't want to give up other interests , acquire extraordinary skills along the way and a wealth of experiences that enrich and which prove to be, as far as I can ascertain, successful even at work. The most valuable lesson? The example of my mother, a researcher in the field of particle physics, who was divided between us children and CERN, sharing her life and work with us, taking us to Geneva or around the world to conferences, thus allowing us to quickly achieve self-sufficiency and independence and always instilling in us the idea that with tenacity and good organization we can do it”.
And, on the great subject of personal life sacrifice, researcher Ingrid Hunstad says: "I chose not to sacrifice my personal life, I have two children and until they were small I worked 85% part-time, not to feeling drowned by the hours to recover. Twenty years ago today's forms of flexible work such as teleworking and smart working did not exist. Part-time work itself, although it led to a reduction in salary, was viewed with a certain diffidence because it seemed almost unseemly to say that it was a pleasure to take care of children's growth. Among other things, in fact I didn't work less, because our work can also be done at home, in the gym or in the swimming pool while the children are taking swimming lessons. Indeed, whether it was hockey or karate, during those hours of waiting in the sports arenas I read and corrected more scientific articles than sitting at my desk in the office. In hindsight, I'm glad I did. In that period the only real sacrifices concerned carrying out work in scientific campaigns because it required long distances from home. This had a cost for me because my colleagues at that time were all men and I found myself being sidelined. But we must think that nothing is forever, while it is always possible to change direction and find a more beautiful and more exciting one”.
Determination, organization, competence, passion and tenacity are therefore the elements of INGV women.
"My wish", concludes the Director General Maria Siclari, "is to maintain the spaces conquered in society and in research and to offer other women the possibility of achieving their scientific goals with less and less difficulty, creating a network of tools that break down or minimize gender gaps”.
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Olga Vakula of the IAEA and testimonial of the day