May Gómez, director of EOMAR, gave a talk last week at the ULPGC on the occasion of the celebration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science
The fact that women have not had it easy in their scientific careers is not news. May Gómez, director of the Ecophysiology of Marine Organisms Group (EOMAR) of the ECOAQUA institute, participated last Thursday, February 14, in one of the round tables organized by the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on the occasion of the celebration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
May Gómez, director of the Ecophysiology of Marine Organisms Group (EOMAR) of the ECOAQUA Institute
During her speech, in the Board Room of the Faculty of Marine Sciences, the professor specialized in Zoology made a review of the evolution that has taken place in recent decades the integration of women in the various careers in Science, highlighting great names such as Jane Godall, Lynn Margulis Isabel Moreno, Pepita Castellvi or Ángeles Alvariño, among others.
"We have achieved many things, such as the extension of rights in all cases related to time dedicated to family care (maternity leave, pregnancy risk, breastfeeding); equal opportunities in the selection and evaluation processes for caregivers (grants and six-year periods); balanced composition in evaluation committees; and other specific measures to stimulate and give recognition to the presence of women in R&D teams.
But May Gómez pointed out that, in spite of this, the famous scissors graph still exists, which symbolizes how more women enroll and study university careers in the branch of Sciences up to the doctorate, where the number is equal to that of men after leaving the university, and after the doctorate the scissors are opened to establish that only one out of four professors is a woman.
"It is something that also happens in the ULPGC where we are 31 women and 125 men, only one fifth," she stressed. "One of the most important tasks that I have set myself therefore is that of dissemination, that we are seen, even though we are few, and many female colleagues join me in this work," she assures.
May also told her personal experience during her almost 40 years of career, with many anecdotes of when she was a scholarship holder, doctor, associate professor, full professor and professor. She also explained the tasks she is currently carrying out in the position of Director of the Doctoral School, which she combines with that of Director of the EOMAR group of ECOAQUA.
She recommended to all students, if this is their vocation, to have a clear objective, not to give up, to take advantage of situations and opportunities by taking chances as they come, to continue training, to work as a team and to be resilient.
On the same Wednesday, February 14, other teachers such as Daura Vega, María Dolores Pérez, Yaiza Gómez also participated in the meeting, while the second round table was attended by Sarah Montesdeoca and María José Sánchez.