Verlab#Blog: Merima Smajlhodžić – Deljo
Women have long played an important but frequently unacknowledged role in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). While the demand for STEM-skills in the labour market is increasing to meet the green and digital transitions, women are still faced with the risk of missing out on these opportunities due to their underrepresentation in these fields.
Although women make up a large part of the workforce in many fields, they are still underrepresented in scientific disciplines, especially in higher positions. There are many challenges facing women in science, including gender bias, discrimination, lack of mentoring support, difficult work-life balance, and other factors. Empowering women in science can lead to a wider diversity of ideas, perspectives and innovations in science, which could lead to better discoveries and a better understanding of the world we live in.
What’s the History of Women in STEM?
When thinking about STEM one cannot but remember a few women who made monumental achievements strengthening the role of women in STEM. A pioneer premier nature writer sRachel Carson (1907-1964) who compelled people to call for change, igniting an environmental movement that led to the prohibition of the pesticide DDT. For the astronauts to fly in rockets and go to space, Katherine Johnson (1918-2020) helped them get there. Johnson made critically important contributions to the country’s most historical achievements in spaceflight as a well-respected NASA mathematician – a human computer whose calculations helped put American astronauts into space and, ultimately, on the Moon. Marie Curie (1867-1934) followed her curiosity into unknown territories of science, which led to foundational discoveries for modern medicine and industry, by figuring out radioactivity, which is used to make X-rays, kill germs and create electricity.
These, and many more examples are significant evidence that women work quietly behind the scenes to advance technology in STEM professions, so we don’t need to talk about women in science only on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, celebrated on 11 February, we need to empower and motivate young girls to consider studying science or technology, and constantly strengthening the position of women in science. There is an awareness that women scientists and researchers in BiH’s academic community have less influence and a lower status than their male colleagues.
Why Focus on Women in STEM?
Science, technology, and innovation (STI) has a significant impact on many parts of our lives, including personal well-being, learning, participation, livelihoods, the environment, and social interactions. The digital infrastructure we develop today will shape our futures for decades, if not centuries, to come. In several of the future professions that will develop the fastest and provide the best wages, such as computer science and engineering, there are disproportionately large gender inequalities. There are several inborn qualities that are gender-neutral but historically manifest more in women, such as strong collaboration, excellent listening skills, effective communication, mediator skills, and the ability to multitask.
Challenges
Despite the fact that there are more girls in school than ever before, they often do not have the same possibilities as boys to complete and benefit from a chosen education. According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, women make up little over 35% of STEM-related graduates in higher education. Only 28% of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) jobs are held by women, and men outweigh women in most STEM undergraduate majors. Many female leaders in STEM aspire to work in a setting where they are equally represented to their male colleagues, but as of now, we are still wondering what it will take. According to UNESCO data on research and experimental development (R&D) available from 2019, female researchers make up 46.8% of all researchers in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Future perspective
Girls and young women should embrace their nature and instincts. To be represented by different voices, we need more girls and young women in STEM fields. We are more compassionate and empathic than man, and I believe these are fantastic qualities that we can use to become better leaders. As someone who continued education outside the borders of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and came back in the midst of the pandemic, I was very disappointed in the institutions in my country, where in that period it was seen how many young female scientists who graduated from faculties related to science, where at the bureau. I was lucky that the opportunity opened up for me to work at the Verlab Institute and to apply my acquired knowledge during my studies at the University of Vienna and previous work as a young scientist at the Austrian Institute for Technology (AIT).
I know girls and young women from my field of education, who struggle with self-esteem and confidence issues, but sometimes, a woman’s level of insecurity increases with her level of talent. To build on your confidence, my suggestion is to find a female mentor with whom you can share your concerns and be inspired. MEDICON and CMBEBIH 2023 conference is an opportunity where you can meet your future female mentor.
As a female-lead organisation Verlab Institute fosters a culture of friendliness and collaboration, promoting work-life balance, ensuring women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making. Therefore, at the upcoming conference MEDICON and CMBEBiH 2023, in cooperation with IFMBE, a session Women in Biomedical engineering will be organised, which represents a great opportunity for networking and a high-quality discussion about the position of women in the business and academic community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a special emphasis on women scientists and researchers in the sector biotechnologies of medicine engineering. Additionally, for young girls and women in clinical engineering there is currently an open call for Women in Clinical Engineering (WICE) stories published by IFMBE, with the aim to share their stories and to celebrate their achievements in the field of clinical engineering and to encourage female students to explore a career in engineering.
