Gender equality must be more present in science
Recently, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, which reminds us of the relevance of women in this field.which reminds us of the relevance of women in this field.
Marie Curie is probably the best-known scientist in history, but she is by far not the only one. Many, many others have contributed and continue to contribute with their valuable contributions to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Although these areas are essential to the economy, gender equality has not yet been achieved in most countries. The gap begins in education, due to the lack of female role models, but continues in the field of research and in the business world.
As António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, has recognized, “women and girls continue to face systemic barriers and biases that prevent them from pursuing careers in science. This deprives our world of great talent.”
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include vital challenges such as health and climate change. Addressing them involves harnessing all the talents available in the sciences, both men and women.
“That’s how we understand it at Litoclean,” as Natàlia Blázquez-Pallí, head of testing and laboratory at Litoclean’s Innovation Center in Rubí (Barcelona), proudly points out. In her own words, “based on scientific knowledge and our experience, we develop applied solutions. Our team has an absolute majority of women, all of them with technical training, but coming from different specialties. This differential factor gives us the ability to find solutions with a multidisciplinary vision”.
The laboratory’s tasks are not only to carry out pilot tests for our projects, but also to design and develop tests and new technologies applied to measure, according to the needs that arise in the R&D area and in the soil and water management sector. These activities are carried out following the scientific method, with protocols and procedures (in-house and external) that guarantee the standardization, quality and reliability of the results obtained, and paying special attention to the sustainability and waste management of the laboratory.
A more diverse and equitable scientific and technological future is possible. We must continue to strive to achieve it.