Lessons learned from Mars and Moon Exploration: diversity, inclusion and gender balance

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Maria-Paz Zorzano
Scientist, Civil Servant
Automatic Summary

Promoting Gender Equality in STEM

Good afternoon everyone! Today we delve into the essential topic of gender balance in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). I will be sharing a unique perspective gained from my experiences as a planetary physicist in space exploration.

A Glimpse of My Work in Space Exploration

As a scientist, my realm is the uncharted territories of Mars that are explored through robotic missions developed by NASA and the European Space Agency. This multi-disciplinary realm involves collaboration among physicists, engineers, chemists, biologists, mathematicians, and informaticians, essentially covering all fields traditionally associated with STEM.

Education & Gender Equality: The Links We Must Forge

As researchers, there's an onus upon us to contribute to building a better society. Two areas where we can make pivotal contributions are the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of education and gender equality.

For instance, UNESCO's "Cracking The Code" study on girls' and women's education in STEM points out that gender differences in STEM education emerge from early years. This is not due to a lack of aptitude, but due to prevailing stereotypes and societal expectations. Consequently, we must strive to make STEM disciplines more accessible and appealing to young girls. However, the challenge persists through professional career paths as well.

Mustered Numbers Highlight The Gender Divide

  1. Women constitute only 35% of STEM students in higher education, globally.
  2. Only 30% of the global research population comprises women.
  3. Around 48% of researchers are females globally. But in technical paths of academia, these percentages drop to around 24%.

These disparities indicate the urgent need for promoting female representation at all professional levels, from entry right through to leadership positions.

Reversing The Trends: Key Areas of Action

Promoting visibility, objectivity, and flexibility are key to breaking this disparity. This involves:

  • Breaking Stereotypes: This requires extensive efforts to dismantle age, race, economic status, and origin biases besides gender, which often influence decision-making.
  • Objectivity & Fairness: Consciously striving to be fair and transparent in our decisions.
  • Balance: Encouraging work-life balance is essential for career longevity, crucially for women who often juggle full-time careers with primary caregiving roles at home.

Success Stories in Breaking the Stereotypes

Examples abound of breaking stereotypes in the space exploration field, like the Artemis crew for NASA's next moon mission. The International Space Station, an international cooperation program, also regularly showcases astronauts of diverse profiles.

Bringing About Change in Infrastructure & Policies

To enhance female representation in scientific missions, structures need to be put in place that promote competition and flexibility, and flatten hierarchies. This would enable the best candidates to succeed solely based on their merits.

Conclusion

As researchers, we have to set pioneering trends for society. By embracing diversity and inclusivity in all its forms, we can hope to influence institutions with lesser gender balance, and drive meaningful changes. It's essentially all about objectivity in decision-making, fostering visibility, and ensuring flexibility, to bring out the best in your team.

That's my message, and I invite your questions to explore this further. Thank you for your attention, and have a wonderful day!


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