In comparison to their male peers, women are underrepresented in academic fields, especially in science and technology. This is the unfortunate result of many problems, such as social barriers including the expectation of women in the home, early marriage, and discriminatory practices in the labour market, all of which are still present to this day. Even without fundamental problems, girls are less encouraged to study physics past high school by their teachers, family, and friends. Only 30% of researchers worldwide are women, and only 35% of all students enrolled in STEM-related fields of study are women.


To raise awareness of these problems and to encourage women to become more active in scientific fields, on 22 December 2015, the Royal Academy of Science International Trust initiated the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, which adopted resolution 70/212 titled "International Day of Women and Girls in Science". Every year, members of the UN gather to discuss topics concerning women in science; this year’s theme is "Vision to Impact: Redefining STEM by Closing the Gender Gap".
In line with the day, we will be looking at notable women in science:
Irène Joliot-Curie


Born in Paris in 1897, Irène was the daughter of the well-known scientist Marie Curie. Due to her parents being extremely busy with work, she was raised by her paternal grandfather, Eugene Curie, a retired doctor who taught her to love nature, poetry, and radical politics. Just three years after her mother won the Nobel Prize, her father died in an accident, leading her to replace her father as a supporter and colleague of her mother. She assisted her mother during World War I, helping injured soldiers with X-rays. Later in her life, along with her husband Frédéric Joliot-Curie, she discovered induced radioactivity (also known as artificial radioactivity), receiving the 1935 Nobel Prize.
Esther Lederberg


Born in New York in 1922, she was the daughter of Pauline Geller Zimmer and David Zimmer, a Romanian immigrant who ran a print shop. Graduating in 1938 at the age of 15, she was awarded a scholarship to attend New York City's Hunter College starting that autumn. Initially wanting to study French or literature, she switched to biochemistry against the word of her teachers, who thought sciences would be harder for a woman. During the 1950s, while working for the University of Wisconsin, she discovered the lambda bacteriophage and the F factor.
Despite her incredible discoveries, she was unable to gain recognition, as her husband discouraged her from conducting additional studies so she would finish her PhD dissertation. Consequently, Joshua Lederberg was credited for her work, and when he received the Nobel Prize in 1958, people saw Esther as his wife and assistant instead of an independent scientist. Due to the struggles she faced, she became an advocate for herself and other women during the early years of the second wave of feminism.