Women researchers have been at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19, with female scientists across the globe playing pivotal roles, from advancing knowledge on the virus, to developing vaccines, treating patients and assessing the pandemic’s devastating economic and social impact.
However, the health crisis has laid bare disparities in the scientific system. Girls are significantly under-represented in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects at school, and women occupy fewer senior positions than men at top universities. The pandemic has widened the existing gender gap, with closed labs and increased care responsibilities for women.
At the United Nations University-MERIT (UNU-MERIT), female researchers play a key role in working on the 2030 Agenda. “Education is one of the best ways to achieve gender equality,” says Prof Dr Bartel Van de Walle, Director of UNU-MERIT in Maastricht. “Over the last tumultuous year, our female researchers and PhD fellows have produced several research reports and policy briefs on the COVID-19 pandemic.”
In his message on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres says giving girls access to the education they deserve is critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. “Women and girls belong in science. Yet stereotypes have steered women and girls away from science-related fields. It is time to recognize that greater diversity fosters greater innovation,” he concludes.
Following the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, UNRIC interviewed Racky Balde and Tatenda Zinyemba, two PhD fellows at UNU-MERIT, who have both been studying the impact of COVID-19 in Africa.
Tatenda Zinyemba, born and raised in Zimbabwe, holds a master’s degree in Public Affairs and Economics and a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics. Her research focuses on inequalities in health, education, and gender.
Racky Balde, from Senegal, holds a master’s degree in Applied Economics and a bachelor’s degree in Economics. She is passionate about economic development issues and the empowerment of the most economically vulnerable persons.
The views and opinions expressed in the article are solely those of their authors, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of WomenInScience.com.
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