On November 14, the L’Oréal-UNESCO “For Women in Science” scholarship ceremony took place, which seeks to recognize the work of women scientists. The five researchers, selected by a committee of experts from among more than 300 candidates, have received an incentive of 15,000 euros that will allow them to develop their promising careers without being diminished by the sexist obstacles that continue to dominate the investigation today.
Spanish scientists Marta Alonso, Begoña Sot, María Ángeles Tormo, Laura Herrero and Reyes Benlloch are exceptional women who have been working towards progress for years. The L’Oréal-UNESCO 2013 Research Bags, which have been awarded since 2006, allow researchers to carry out their projects in Spain and thus reconcile their personal life with dedication to the laboratory. The awardees unanimously dedicated the award to their sacrificial families and research teams, as well as to the women who have paved the way for equality in science with their achievements.
The event, which could be followed on Twitter through the hashtag #mujeresenlaciencia, opened with the intervention of the president of L’Oréal, and then continued with a brief debate on the current challenges of female researchers between three renowned scientists: María Blasco , Director of the National Center for Scientific Research (CNIO); María Vallet-Regí , Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the UCM, and Capitolina Díaz , President of AMIT, the Spanish Association of Women Researchers and Technologists.
The guests presented their point of view from the point of view of the board, agreeing that women continue to suffer discrimination on the grounds of sex by senior officials , where their presence does not reach 12%. This divergence is the reason, according to the researchers, that young women starting out in science do not have the same support that young people have from senior scientists. However, they also stressed that women have only been in the field of science for a short time and that they need more filming to qualify for the same possibilities.
The event was closed by Carmen Vela Olmo, Secretary of State for Research, Development and Innovation, and Ignacio González, President of the Community of Madrid.
