Despite increases in female enrollment in both secondary and higher education, women remain underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, commonly referred to as “STEM” subjects.
We know that seeing role models in these fields can help to counter stereotypes and hidden biases about what a nuclear scientist looks like. This International Women’s Day, we decided to profile women at the IAEA’s Department of Nuclear Energy with STEM backgrounds to demonstrate women’s contributions to this field and inspire others to follow in their footsteps. We ask them about how they got interested in their academic subjects, challenges or highlights in their careers, and what advice they would give to youth considering careers in STEM.