Education, work-life balance, leadership, and future. The themes were unveiled in 2022. Eight women and girls working in science in Portugal, specifically at INESC TEC, accepted the challenge. And so, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science was celebrated with the Bold initiative, leading to four separate conversations. A year later, the Bold(h)er emerged: an event in which they met again to address the same topics – first, individually, and then during a discussion.
The goal? To raise awareness of the importance of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, which is observed annually on February 11; this initiative was first promoted 2015 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The significance? Major! Particularly since said Organization stated (2022) that it is estimated that achieving gender equality will only happen within a 300-year horizon! Also, according to the latest news on national media, the wage gap between women and men increased yet again. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) careers are no exception; and the importance of raising awareness of the need to bring more Women and Girls to these areas was precisely the focus of this initiative. It’s worth mentioning another fact shared during the event: in the technology sector, only 12% of CEOs are women; and, regardless of the country’s level of development, equality in STEM areas is yet to be achieved.
What was the motto of the Bold(h)er event? A reflection on all these issues. What has changed a year after the first conversations? Or did nothing change? And the same issues remain?
The Eight Bold(h)er Women
Ana Pires, Carolina Catorze, Clara Gouveia, Graça Barbosa, Paula Raissa, Paula Viana, Rita Barros, and Susana Rodrigues – these are the names of the protagonists of this initiative.
Ana Pires, INESC TEC researcher and scientist-astronaut dedicated to robotics and autonomous systems, was the first to address the audience; in 2023, she was the commander of the first Portuguese analog mission (with a women-led team), and in 2024, she won the Science and Technology category of the Women 3.0 Awards. Ana Pires spoke about the future and the importance of inspiring new generations, using education as a “weapon” to achieve a more equal society. Paula Raissa, INESC TEC researcher in the field of Artificial Intelligence and decision support, addressed the same topic and reinforced aspects like the importance of female representation, and proportionality. In a more intimate sharing, Paula spoke of some of her women role models, like her paternal grandmother and mother – who asked her, as a child, if she wanted to be an independent woman. Paula Raissa answered “yes”. “I wanted to be independent at all levels, including financial”, she said. Therefore, she invested at various levels, namely in education and another great “weapon” to address inequality: books.
Graça Barbosa, Carolina Catorze and Clara Gouveia debated the question of leadership. Graça Barbosa, the only female representative of INESC TEC Board of Directors, decided to focus on scientific leadership. It started with Marie Curie, as an example of an award-winning scientist, known to all as the first woman who won a Nobel Prize – but who, nevertheless, was a victim of inequality, since it was her husband, Pierre Curie, and also Henri Becquerel, who were going to be awarded, if they had not opposed this unfair decision. Marie’s resilience and genius prevailed, and the scientist won a second Nobel Prize a few years later. According to Graça Barbosa, the scientist has been an inspiration since she was younger.
Regarding INESC TEC, Graça Barbosa added that there’s still room to improve in terms of number and relevance of women in scientific careers – despite all efforts over the previous years. She mentioned that it’s important to grasp the reasons behind this question, through traditional narratives and alternative outlooks. She concluded by stating that women are not required to be a geniuses like Marie Curie to get their well-earned recognition, opportunities and scientific leadership roles.
Carolina Catorze, a researcher in the field of energy systems, addressed the importance of diversity in science and technology. According to her, the underrepresentation of female voices in leadership positions is upsetting. She emphasised that leadership is not about power or titles, but about being able to awaken the potential of others, i.e., the “waltz” between inspiration and influence.
Clara Gouveia, a senior researcher in energy systems, shared her experience as a woman in engineering: from the choice of degree and college admission to the present day. In the mostly male environments (of 180 people, only 20 were women) at college, and later at work, things would often become uncomfortable and intimidating. She also mentioned that women tend to underestimate their abilities and avoid prominent situations in male-dominated contexts. She also challenged the audience to try to embrace this discomfort as part of the challenge, and an opportunity to improve. She spoke of her female and male role models, of how her father was an inspiration to follow electrical engineering – although there were times when her father had doubts that an (amateur) dancer could be interested in electrical engineering. However, he always sought to encourage her journey. And today, Clara Gouveia is not only a researcher at INESC TEC, but also a member of Martifer’s board of directors. One of the lessons learned throughout this journey? Be comfortable with discomfort, and never fear stepping out of the comfort zone.
Susana Rodrigues, INESC TEC researcher in the field of biomedical engineering, and a member of the institution’s Human Resources team, addressed the work-personal life balance. Susana began by explaining that, in this area, there are women who are more career-driven, while others tend to be more family-driven or balance-driven (who seek a balance between both dimensions). Then, in a more personal note, Susana spoke of her mother as a model of a balance-driven woman, who always had a demanding career while taking care of her family. Susana confessed that there were times when it was difficult for her mother to manage all this multitasking, reinforcing the importance of support communities, even if informal. She also understands the day-to-day challenge of managing all these dimensions, and the importance of sharing, especially among the younger generations. According to Susana Rodrigues, achieving this balance is an ongoing process that involves setting boundaries, managing priorities, learning to say “no”, communicating openly, and admitting when adjustments are needed to prevent one dimension from dominating the other.
Paula Viana – engineer, and member of INESC TEC since its inception, where she works as a researcher in the field of telecommunications and multimedia. She claimed she’s a “feminist”, and she believes that girls will save the world. She talked about the future, but also about the role of education. She said that, although engineering and science have the objective of changing the world, they remain a “boys club”, and that she sometimes feels she does not fit in. But she is sure that this will change, and that the younger generations will fit in; and that is why girls will save the world. Because realising that technology is not a men’s thing is a cultural issue. She shared that she realised that these cultural stereotypes are the obstacles to a more equal world – not only in science, but in all other dimensions – only after giving birth to two boys. Another stereotype: women are too emotional. “Isn’t emotion vital to creation?”, she asked. Paula believes that the main message to girls is that they need to take risks and be different; and that they don’t need to be geniuses.
Rita Barros, head of Legal Support at INESC TEC, spoke about the future – not without first looking at the present and realising the lack of female representation in leadership positions in science and technology. She mentioned that women continue to be responsible and more burdened with family issues than men, and that it’s vital to change this type of speech and mindset. “Women must stop feeling bad for interrupting a meeting because they must leave to pick up their children from school or to take care of their parents”, she claimed. At the same time, she believes that women’s careers should not be negatively influenced by this personal overload.
The conclusion
A discussion that lasted a hour and a half, aiming to show the importance of celebrating the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Eight women responsible for addressing four themes. A place for further action and the exchange of ideas. And so, the Bold(h)er initiative came to an end, with a certainty: from breaking barriers in male-dominated areas to championing diversity and inclusion, our community is paving the way for future generations of women in science. Mission accomplished (for now)!
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