Deborah Daley 00:06
Hello and welcome to Changemakers, a podcast series brought to you by Nature, where we shine a light on fascinating and extraordinary scientists.
I’m Deborah Daley, global chair of Springer Nature’s Black Employee Network. And I’m very proud to present this series, where we explore exclusion in science and how some researchers are doing something about it.
In episode eight, the last in the series, we meet a biochemist in Kathmandu who is determined to improve access and opportunities for Nepalese girls and women in STEM careers.
Babita Paudel 00:53
Hello. This is Babita Paudel from Nepal. And currently I am working as a head research director at the Centre for Natural and Applied Sciences here in Kathmandu, Nepal.
My research area is natural product chemistry. And basically I am working on high altitude microorganisms and medicinal plants of Nepal. And I am looking for bioactive, mostly medicinal compounds, from those organisms.
I grew up in the central part of Nepal. It is around 200 kilometres from Kathmandu, that is the capital city of Nepal, and Kathmandu is a hilly region.
I was a bit of a bright student at that time also. So there was a mindset. Some teachers and some parents also, pushing to study science and other subjects.
I have been passionate about science since my high school. I developed a strong interest in basically, in biology, particularly in plant science and microorganisms.
And for these my parents also encouraged and supported me to pursue this field. And at that time, there were very few female professors. So I was also inspired by them as well.
And after completion of my Master’s degree I got the opportunity to study my PhD in South Korea, where I worked on Antarctic plants and microorganisms. This marked the beginning of my research and academic career.
There is a noticeable shortage of women in science in Nepal. And only 7.8% of women are working as a researcher.
Though there is some progress made in recent years, women still remain underrepresented in STEM fields, particularly in higher education, in PhD level, and research and leadership positions.
There are various factors: social factors, cultural and institutional factors.
First is gender stereotype plays a significant role for that. You know this from an early age. Girls are often discouraged from pursuing STEM subjects. These fields are seen as male-dominated, and most of the science teachers or STEM field teachers are male, so that might be the reason.
And there is also a lack of female role models in science and technology, and making it difficult for young girls to envision themselves in such careers. And that might be one reason, and another is family and societal expectation can be limiting.
Many families prioritize careers that align with these traditional gender roles, such as they insist girls to choose the subject like education or healthcare, rather than engineering or technology. That might be also another reason.
And another third reason might be there are lots of institutional barriers exist at multiple levels. You know, these women in this STEM often face challenges such as unequal access to research opportunities, funding and leadership roles.
And sometimes we can face workplace discrimination and this lack of supportive female-friendly policies. And not having maternity leave, or not having flexible working hours, and not having child caring facilities near to working station. Those are the reasons.
And finally, I would like to say there are very few or limited mentorship and networking opportunities. Those are the reasons for further widening this gap. And many women lack access to strong professional network, mentorship program, as I already mentioned, and scholarship that could help them to thrive in STEM careers.
And losing women or girls means we are losing lots of talents. And lots of ideas we are losing. So for this better society, we need those diversity of ideas and everything.
So we need to encourage more women to enter in scientific fields, so can harness a larger and more diverse talent pool from that. Certainly this leads to greater innovation, and as different perspective contribute to more comprehensive problem-solving, like healthcare, agriculture and technology.
And another is a more inclusive steam workforce can drive economic development as well. Women in STEM can contribute to research, entrepreneurship and technological advancement that create jobs, improve industries that enhance Nepal’s global competitiveness also.
Diverse team have been shown to produce higher quality research with broader application.
That is also a fact. So we have to encourage women in STEM to lead more inclusive studies addressing issues that impact both men and women in Nepal, such as maternal health, climate change and adaptation and sustainable development.
And besides that, it helps to break gender stereotypes also. So we have to be very thoughtful about this. As more women engage in STEM, certainly it increases the demand for gender-sensitive policies, research funding and institutional support, and leading to more inclusive and dynamic academic and professional environment.
Investing in women in STEM is an investment in Nepal’s future, ones that drives science discovery, economic resilience and social process. So we need more girls or women in STEM fields for better society to make a better nation, to make a better world, I would like to say.
So I am trying these networking and capacity-building activities since 2022. For this I have created Women in STEM Network Database that is already published on the website of CENAS, the Centre for Natural and Applied Sciences. That is my institute.
And I am still continuing this mission to update and upgrade that database. Actually, why such database is important? Here, I would like to highlight the database helps to build a strong community. And by this, women feel encouraged and inspired and empowered to pursue an advance in scientific career. And that is the first initiative.
And second one is this. I started various capacity-building activities. For that. I have organized several workshops, training sessions, seminars in all the province of Nepal, physically. And sometime I am conducting various webinars also. This aim is to equip women with technical skills, research methodologies and leadership training. That is the mission.
And such activities help to bridge. These capacity-building activities help to bridge the confidence gap and prepare women for success in STEM fields.
So I have started to campaign on social media, also, because this is the age of social media, so we can influence people within a very short time through the social media network.
So I have created a group on Facebook and LinkedIn called in Facebook, there is a group called Women in STEM Nepal. And in LinkedIn, there is a group called Women in STEM club Nepal.
We serve as a platform for knowledge-sharing, networking and inspiration and such online communities allow women to connect, share opportunities and discuss the challenges they face.
And so far, I am able to connect around 4.6k female students, researchers all over Nepal, through this group. So and beyond these efforts, I am also worked on this advocacy and awareness campaign to challenge gender stereotype in Nepal.
Because, you know, these policymakers and academic leaders, they are not aware about this situation. So we have to engage them, and we have to sensitize them. We have to…. Policy intervention also is also crucial.
Policy intervention is also playing a major role. So engaging with policymakers, academic institutions and sometime with the industry leaders to promote gender-sensitive policies and equal opportunities has been another crucial step. I am I’m also working on that.
So gender, this gender disparity in STEM, is not one time before it is long way to go, so it requires continuous engagement, mentorship program and policy level changes.
Through this initiative, I hope to contribute to a more inclusive and diverse scientific community in Nepal.
Yeah, there are a lot of things need to happen to fully bridge this gender gap. Several key changes need to happen in different levels, I would like to say.
First of all, policy and institutional support. That is the many major government and academic institutions need to implement gender-sensitive policies such as a scholarship for women in STEM. And a maternity-friendly work environment. And equal access to research funding and strong enforcement of anti discrimination policies is also crucial.
So that is this policy and institutional support. There should be an education system reform should be there.
Here, I would like to highlight a few points. That is, STEM education should be more, made more inclusive from an early age, early age. And a school must encourage girls to pursue science and provide role models by featuring female scientists in curricula. Because in our curricula we can see lots of gender biases are there. Only male scientists are highlighted. So we have to think about that also.
And another is a hands-on learning program that might be STEM clubs. And mentorship for women in STEM can make big differences.
And a third point, I would like to say this workplace inclusivity and leadership opportunities. That’s what we also need to think about that.
For that, more women need to be in leadership position in universities, business institutions and tech industries.
For this, we have to create various mentorship programs, capacity-building activities, leadership training and workplace policies that support career growth for women in STEM. That is also essential.
Another point I would like to highlight is cultural and societal change. So for this, I would like to say this stereotype. There is one stereotype that STEM field is not for women.
So we have to change that stereotype. And for this, this media and community program awareness campaigns would be highlighted by highlighting successful women in STEM and their stories. We have to show role models to inspire future generations. We can do such type of activities.
And beside that, these families and communities should encourage girls to explore science and technology without gender-based limitation.
And last, and the most important thing I would like to say is stronger networks and support system. For these expanding networks like women in STEM and organizing more workshops, conferences and networking events can provide women with connection and resource they need to succeed..
So I would like to give some advice. First, believe in yourself and your abilities. That is the most important thing. And another is you should be proactive. And you should dream big and work hard to pursue your dreams. And your passion and hard work matter more than stereotype or societal expectation.
So another is seek mentors and build a strong support network. That is also very important. And surround yourself with people who uplift and inspire you, not discourage you.
That also I would like to advise and take risks and embrace challenges. That is also another thing. And growth happens outside of your comfort zone.
So we have to think about that, and whether it is applying for a competitive program, leading projects or voicing your ideas, don’t let fear hold you back.
So we have to be very careful about that. And finally, I would like to say, and this is most important. I would like to say, advocate for yourself and others also.
If you face barriers, also break them, not just for yourself, but for the next generation of women in STEM. Your journey can inspire change that that also you need to think.
And most importantly, enjoy the process. Science is about curiosity, discovery and innovation. So stay passionate, keep learning and trust that you are making a difference.
Deborah Daley 15:28
That’s it for this series of Changemakers. Thank you for listening.
Look out for more tales of fascinating and extraordinary scientists on the Nature Careers website.
