The “Global Women’s Breakfast 2021” event organised by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) in collaboration with Bayer, convened virtually on February 9, 2021, under the theme, ‘Empowering Diversity in Science,’ in a prelude to the United Nations Day of Women and Girls in Science. 

In its fourth edition, the “Global Women’s Breakfast” creates a platform for women in science to come together and meaningfully connect while addressing barriers and inequalities faced within the scientific community. Bayer hosted this virtual panel of eminent women scientists to celebrate this occasion.

The panel featured Dr. Shailja Gupta, Senior Advisor, Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Dr. Usha Barwale Zehr, Director, and Chief Technology Officer, Mahyco, India, Professor Rohini Godbole, Indian physicist, academic, and Padma Shri recipient, Dr. Zeba Seraj, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh and Dr. Vidya K, Head of Product Development- APAC Breeding, Bayer. Moderated by Dr. Arun Kumar, Head, Environmental Science, Bayer South Asia, the event was attended by a wide range of stakeholders.

The panel explored the value of diversity in science, highlighting pervasive challenges unique to women in science and the role of institutions, policies, and personal support structures in enabling and empowering women in their scientific pursuits.

Key Highlights

The Value of Diversity in Science

Professor Rohini Godbole, Indian physicist, Academic, and Padma Shri recipient noted, “Diversity encompasses inclusion and equity. It is the cornerstone of scientific advancement and progress, as diverse inputs can significantly add value to the field as well as bring new dimensions for investigations into the unknown.” She added, “We need to develop a mindset that just as science is important to women, equally, women are important to science.”

Commenting on the value of diversity in teams, Dr. Usha Barwale Zehr, Director, and Chief Technology Officer, Mahyco, India said, “Diversity fosters excellence in teams, ensures women and their unique needs are represented in decision-making and in this way, significantly reduces bias. Moreover, it ensures problems are approached from different angles.” 

Challenges of Women in Science

Dr. Zeba Seraj, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, commented, “The discrepancies in expectations from men and women pave the way for inequity, and harmful stereotypes perpetuate such gaps, which need to be discouraged.” Discussing how such challenges can be addressed, she added, “Creating opportunities for women to be role models and mentors and encouraging parents and teachers to treat their kids equally can be steps taken to address this challenge.” Another challenge for women in science lies in childbearing. Women who take career breaks for this purpose can feel inadequately supported or motivated to return to work.

The panelists highlighted the need for the provision of adequate childcare services and government intervention in establishing this at local and state levels. Simultaneously, they elaborated on the broader challenge of cultural mindsets that need to shift, ensuring child-rearing responsibilities do not primarily fall on women and are to be taken on equally by both parents. 

Dr. Vidya K, Head of Product Development- APAC Breeding, Bayer commented on the importance of networks and role models, “Professional networking can be difficult for women and thus act as a barrier to advocacy. An additional challenge in the industry is the low proportion of women leaders who can serve as role models.”