The achievements of women in science are often at an extremely high level and globally recognized, and society should always recognize this and provide systematic support in every possible way to involve more women and girls in scientific research. These are, among other things, some of the conclusions of a panel discussion, held on February 11th at the EU Info Point Niš on the occasion of International Women and Girls Day and Science.
The panelists included successful women in science, academia, and business, and the event aimed to highlight the important achievements of women in science, promote the awards and honors women have received and encourage girls and women to boldly, freely step into a world of science that belongs to them as much as men.
Opportunities and challenges that women face in their professional career development and advancement in science were discussed at the panel in Niš by Tijana Ljubisavljevic from SmartFireBlock from Kragujevac, Dr. Aleksandra Pavlovic, Vice Dean for Science and Research at the Faculty of Mathematics in Niš and project coordinator European Researchers Night; Dragana Cvetković Ilić, Ph.D., Full Professor at the Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, University of Niš, and Emilija Stojanović, winner of the Women in Science Award in 2019.
As prof. Dr. Aleksandra Pavlovic, women are present in science and there is a trend of increasing the number of women in different scientific disciplines, but this is a slow process and constant support is needed.
“Women should be even more visible and visible in their work, and this is where the support of the media is very important to keep track of what we women are doing today, what we do and what our contribution to science is,” adds Prof. dr Aleksandra Pavlovic.
As coordinator of the European Researchers’ Night, prof. Dr. Aleksandra Pavlovic points out that such events are a good way to get children interested in science from an early age and to bring different scientific fields closer to people who are not too close.
The winner of the “Women in Science” award in 2019 and double doctoral student Emilija Stojanovic emphasize that determination is always important and that with good organization and hard work, serious results can always be achieved.
“I think it is very important to emphasize such activities, such as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, because in this way we encourage young researchers, and in this case women, to continue to engage in scientific research, and that is definitely the path they should go if they want gender equality in this area, ”says Emilija Stojanovic.
In the words of Dragana Cvetkovic Ilic, who since March 1 becomes a member of the Board of Directors of the ILAS (International Linear Algebra Society), the largest American Association for Linear Algebra, anyone who invests in their careers and works honestly and honestly will inevitably come to success.
When it comes to (in) equality between the sexes, Dr. Cvetkovic Ilic points out that during the early stages of education, there are generally no major differences because children work together and they are all equal, but a big difference is often made when important life decisions come and then girls and women they face bigger problems and challenges.
Tijana Ljubisavljevic, from SmartFireBlock, whose innovation has been supported by the Innovation Fund and funded by the European Union, says that it is an important team and encourages women and general people in Serbia not to give up and always fight for their ideas.
Symbolically, on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, an open call for proposals for the winners of the EU 2020 Prize for Women Innovators was formally launched. The competition is open until 21 April for women from EU countries, as well as from countries participating in Horizon 2020, including Serbia. This award recognizes the role of women in innovation and pays tribute to the outstanding achievements of women entrepreneurs leading innovative companies. The award seeks to raise awareness of the need for more women entrepreneurs and create strong role models for women and girls.
On the occasion of International Women and Girls Day in Science and the panel discussion we organized, a message was sent to us by Equality Protection Commissioner Brankica Jankovic.
“Equality in science implies greater participation of women in decision-making, a more balanced relationship between the two sexes in scientific research teams and gender mainstreaming in scientific research,” said Commissioner for the Protection of Equality Brankica Jankovic. But have women fought for their place in science? ”Asks the commissioners.
He added that in Serbia, men still make up the majority of graduates of engineering, engineering, mathematics, and informatics, while women opt for the humanities and social sciences. That is why we need to convince young women to think in the direction of studying these faculties, but also to encourage them to continue pursuing science, concludes Equal Protection Commissioner Brankica Jankovic.
The idea for the introduction of the International Day for Women and Girls in Science came from the United Nations, and a resolution to mark this day was adopted in 2015. Gender equality is one of the most important values of the UN and this organization provides significant support to women in science.
