The 10th Anniversary of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, recognized on February 11. This day puts a spotlight on gender equality in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Even though progress has been made with the education of girls in STEM fields, there is still a divide when it comes to representation of women in STEM industries, such as the pharmaceutical industry, despite women being half of the world’s population (1,2). According to the United Nations (UN), only 28% of engineering graduates are women, and there are still challenges for the women who do enter into STEM fields, including sexual harassment and a lack of senior positions for women (1).

A variety of pharmaceutical companies and organizations are celebrating the day in a variety of ways. Sanofi is highlighting five employees the company feels are helping to “pave the way for change in science”: Kasey Boynton, senior director, Global Operations & Partnerships, who works to increase clinical trial access in underserved communities; Amy Brennan, cluster head, Manufacturing & Supply, who is a leader in rare diseases, oncology, and immunology, and optimizes productivity across specialty care sites; Alexandra Hicks, head of Type 2 Immunology Research, who leads research in type 2 inflammation across immune-mediated diseases; Brenda Mulligan, global head of Science and R&D Communications, who works to educate on discoveries in the lab and their impact on patients; and Sandrine Samson, head of Global Vaccine Medical Affairs, New Products & Innovation, who states, "Being part of the family of scientists and using science to help the world be healthier and more equitable is the best part" (3).

Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC) is also highlighting women in science by featuring some of their collaborators, including Kristy Smitten, leader of MetalloBio, who has won awards for the novel antimicrobial class to combat antimicrobial resistance; Helen McCarthy, CEO and co-founder of pHion, who invented a proprietary cell-targeting drug-delivery peptide; Helen Philippou, founder of LUNAC Therapeutics, who is a researcher on blood coagulation and whose company is developing first-in-class, next-generation intravenous anticoagulants; Kate Cameron, founder of Cytochroma, which manufactures multicellular hepatic and cardiac models; and Donna Finch, head of Translational and Clinical Sciences at Alchemab Therapeutics, which was awarded best-emerging biotech start-up in at the 2021 OBN Awards (4).

Research organization MRIGlobal highlighted scientists Chelsey Smith, whose research has supported development of a massively multiplexed detection (MMD) device for early threat detection, and Alison Hart, whose works have helped develop multiple steps for synthetic routes. “For more than 80 years, MRIGlobal’s scientific research contributions have been advancing knowledge and shaping the world. These are but two of our many scientists who are women whom we celebrate,” the company stated (5).

Yasmine Sherif, executive director of Education Cannot Wait, released a statement on Feb. 11, 2025, saying, “The future of the human race hangs in the balance. With science and technology far outpacing the capacity of most humans to keep up, we must arm our future scientists and future leaders with the knowledge, skills and critical thinking abilities they need to survive and thrive in the brave new world of the 21st century. To achieve these goals, we must empower an entire generation of girls in crises to receive the education, training and resources they need to improve their knowledge and skills base in [STEM]” (6). Sherif specifically pointed out the women and girls living in areas of conflict.

“It is not an easy road. For girls living on the frontlines of armed conflict, climate change and forced displacement, the thought of even attending school is elusive at best. In all, there are now nearly a quarter of a billion crisis-affected girls and boys whose right to a quality education fit for the 21^st century is interrupted by these preventable protracted crises. Girls are among the most vulnerable. Rather than studying science or learning about technology, they are exposed to forced child marriage and unwanted pregnancies without their potentials ever being achieved,” Sherif said in the statement (6).

This week, Pharmaceutical Technology® will be speaking with several women working in STEM fields to discuss the impact women have in the industry. Our interview with Michelle Bridenbaker, COO of Unbiased Science, is now available (7).

References

1. United Nations. International Day of Women and Girls in Science, 11 February. un.org (accessed Feb.11, 2025). https://www.un.org/en/observances/women-and-girls-in-science-day/
2. February 11, Women & Girls in Science, womeninscienceday.org (accessed Feb. 11, 2025). https://www.womeninscienceday.org/
3. Sanofi. Celebrating Women in Science. Feb. 11, 2025 https://www.sanofi.com/en/magazine/our-science/celebrating-women-science
4. MDC. MDC Celebrates International Day of Women and Girls in Science. md.catapult.org.uk (accessed Feb. 11, 2025). https://md.catapult.org.uk/news/mdc-celebrates-international-day-of-women-and-girls-in-science/
5. MRIGlobal. Using Science to Improve People’s Lives. Blog Post, MRIGlobal.org (accessed Feb. 11, 2025)
6. Education Cannot Wait. International Day of Women and Girls in Science Statement by Education Cannot Wait Executive Director Yasmine Sherif. Educationcannotwait.org (accessed Feb. 11, 2025). https://www.educationcannotwait.org/news-stories/directors-corner/brave-new-world
7. Haigney, S. International Day of Women and Girls in Science: Support and Empowerment. PharmTech.com. Feb. 10, 2025. https://www.pharmtech.com/view/international-day-of-women-and-girls-in-science-support-and-empowerment