The shifting culture of the scientific workforce – a change for women and girls in science

Abstract

ABSTRACT Celebrating, educating and mobilizing the global community to achieve equality for women and girls in science is recognized worldwide each February 11 on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. This day serves as a rousing call for people of all genders to gain unfettered access to opportunities to become successful, engaged and productive scientists. One strategy to achieve this is to develop policies to ensure that all people can pursue science education, training and careers, unimpeded by their sex, gender and gender identity. Another strategy is to assure representation of women and non-binary people at every level of the scientific workforce. Collectively, these strategies and other important efforts are shifting the global mindset to one where women and girls are recognized as vital, capable and innovative contributors to disciplines that have historically been dominated by men. These male-dominated disciplines have evolved cultural norms rooted in masculine stereotypes and the next challenge is to continue this shift away from a scientific culture in which hypercompetitive, individualistic, solo artists work alone in single-minded pursuit of a breakthrough. Instead, the reality is that contemporary biomedical scientific research is a cosmopolitan culture; one where breakthroughs depend on collaboration, where data sharing is the norm and where all are encouraged to contribute their best ideas to help solve science's most vexing and exciting problems.