The International Day of Women and Girls in Science was established by the United Nations to promote the full and equal access – and participation – of women in scientific fields. Each year we celebrate successful female scientists and encourage all women to participate in science.
According to the Centre for Gender and Science (NKC), there is a lack of opportunities in Czech research for qualified women. That means we are "needlessly missing out on the potential that would move us forward as a society" (NKC). The Centre for Gender and Science points out that while in 2020 a total of 118 044 people worked in research and development, only 36 191 of them were women. In an international context, the proportion of women in science in Czechia is among the lowest in all European Union countries, and unfortunately, it has been at the lowest since 2000.
At IRTIS, we are proud to advocate for diversity and equality among our team members, of whom many are women. To celebrate – and inspire – girls and women all around the world, I decided to ask our female team members why they love what they do!