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Women in science: successes and challenges in focus!
On March 7, 2025, Chemnitz University of Technology celebrated International Women in Science Day with lectures and discussions about women in science.
Women in science: successes and challenges in focus!
On March 7, 2025, the second International Women in Science Day was celebrated at Chemnitz University of Technology. Over 40 participants, including scientists and students, took part in the event in the Old Boiler House. The Vice Rector for Research and University Development, Prof. Dr. Anja Strobel, welcomed those present together with the equal opportunities officer Karla Kebsch.
As part of the event, Dr. Mahsa Samsami, a research assistant at the Chair of Organization and International Management, gave a specialist lecture. Samsami, who is also co-author of the “Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2023/24 Women’s Entrepreneurship Report”, discussed the challenges and successes of women in starting businesses in different countries in her lecture.
Panel discussion and networking
The lecture was followed by a panel discussion entitled “Chances and Challenges as Women-in-Science”. Participants included the professors Prof. Dr. Alexandra Bendixen, Prof. Dr. Veronika Karnowski, Prof. Dr. Karin Leistner and Prof. Dr. Janet Siegmund. The discussion was led by Prof. Dr. Anja Strobel moderates.
The panel discussion provided valuable information for women's academic careers and highlighted various paths to professorships. In the afternoon, the participants had the opportunity to speak to the Vice Rector and the Equal Opportunities Officer and discuss concerns. The feedback was consistently positive and there was a desire to continue the event next year.
Global initiatives to promote women in science and technology
International Women-in-Science Day is part of a larger ongoing commitment to highlight the contributions of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields and reduce barriers to their participation. Every year on February 11, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science is celebrated, which is actively supported by organizations such as the International Science Council (ISC). The aim is to reduce the gender gap in scientific organizations and promote inclusivity in STEM fields where it is crucial to solving global challenges such as climate change and healthcare.
To date, pilot studies have been carried out as part of various initiatives to examine the challenges faced by female scientists. These are based on interviews with ten female scientists and build an evidence-based basis for systemic changes necessary to promote gender equality. Results from pending studies will be published in March 2025 to provide insights into drivers and barriers.
Efforts to promote inclusivity and support for women in science and technology are essential to ensure progress in education and participation. IUPAC also hosted a Global Women's Breakfast, the theme of which was “Accelerating Equality in Science” and the aim was to form a network to overcome existing barriers.