Hélène Jacuszin, marketing and communication coordinator at Research Luxembourg describes the “Women & Girls in Science” series, as an initiative aimed to empower girls and promote inclusivity in the field of science by showcasing the achievements of women researchers. She tells us more about the series’ origins.
What motivated the creation of the Women and Girls in Science series?
According to the 2021 SHE Figures Report, in Luxembourg, only 35.6% of PhD graduates are women, placing us at the bottom of the EU rankings in this regard. The series originated from a pressing need to address gender equality in research, especially given Luxembourg’s concerning statistics in 2021. Additionally, it aimed to inspire young girls by showcasing diverse paths in science beyond traditional stereotypes.
How are candidates selected for the series, and what considerations were made?
Candidates are chosen to represent various research institutions in Luxembourg, ensuring a diverse range of backgrounds and disciplines. Efforts are made to include underrepresented fields such as material science and quantum physics. Additionally, the series emphasizes diversity, featuring women from different nationalities to reflect Luxembourg’s multicultural landscape.
How do you ensure diversity in showcasing women across various fields and career stages in the series?
Our aim with this series is to show the different paths that can lead to many different kinds of careers in research. For this reason, the selection is a clever mix of participants representing different educational backgrounds, career stages, and levels of seniority: from lab technicians to PhD students to professors, as well as people working in supporting and funding research.
In terms of disciplines, we want to cover all the research areas that exist in Luxembourg. But of course, we are also focusing a bit more on the disciplines where women are less represented, such as STEM or engineering. Finally, we also want to show the diversity of origins and languages of people working in research in Luxembourg, as in the country as a whole.
Can you shed some light on the traction of the series?
This is the third season of our series, and we’ve already showcased a total of 18 women. The first two editions of the video series have collectively garnered over 550,000 viewers worldwide across all platforms and have received overwhelmingly positive feedback.
While we’re still compiling the final figures for the latest season, the teaser has already more than 56,000 views on YouTube and over 12,000 views on LinkedIn. The series has been praised for its role in inspiring young girls and challenging stereotypes. It has even gathered attention from international media outlets as far as the Philippines, showcasing the global reach of its message.
