650 young scientists gathered for the 2015 Lindau Nobel meeting, and 42% of them were women, but that doesn’t mean there is no gender inequality in science. It’s no news that most Nobel prize recipients are middle-aged or elderly men, most of them white, but it looks like things are starting to change.
The Grounds Are Starting to Level
There were three female laureates present at the meeting this year, which makes for an astounding difference in figures as opposed to the younger scientists in attendance. Gender inequality has been rampant among laureates for generations, and change is still a ways away. Gender inequality is a pressing issue, especially in the scientific community where women are more likely to drop out of the field than men, and as newer and more diversified generations of young scientists emerge, they hope to bring change.
Laureate Ada Yonath specifically, was seen as an outcast, the local village nut, yet she brought in pivotal research on the structure of the ribosome. For fear of being dismissed as crazy or limited job opportunities, many women are forced to leave the scientific field. As careers progress, they may be discriminated against for a combination of gender and race, even religion, and this has to see a change.
The Battle is Not Yet Won
The team of 650 young scientists that attended the meeting this year will be taking everything they learned back to their home towns and countries, and they will carry the mission of spreading excitement for science to all, especially to females. Women in science are necessary, and gender inequality must be balanced.
