Seeing is believing: Why it’s important to celebrate women in STEM

Here’s a quick unscientific experiment. Close your eyes and picture a scientist at work. What do you see? If you envisioned a male figure with glasses and a white lab coat, you’re not alone. But that widely held belief is, in fact, a stereotype. And while not all STEM fields have an equal mix of men and women, some have a higher percentage of women than you might guess. Others have more women than men.

The point is, these stereotypes are a form of bias, a mindset that can deter young women from entering STEM careers. Yet, we know that bringing diversity – of perspectives, approaches, life experiences – into science drives better outcomes and better solutions. Diversity allows us to talk through a challenge and think about all the potential ways we could address it in the widest way possible.

One of the ways to attract more girls and women to STEM professions is to give them more opportunities to see women in STEM roles, to see the real-life possibilities. And to hear from those women about what they do and why they love their STEM careers. So, in celebration of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, I’d like to share what I love about my work – and how all of us in STEM can serve as stronger supporters.

I lead the Mars Advanced Research Institute (MARI), a small, yet mighty team of scientists exploring new frontiers of science for Mars. So in the exciting world of emerging science and technology, we’re looking for discoveries that could help reinvent the future of our business.

An aspect I particularly love about my STEM career is the variety of fields in science and technology I’ve been lucky enough to explore over the last 30 years ranging from pet nutrition and behavior to food safety and sustainability. Also, the external perspective I get from connecting with scientists around the world, to listen and learn, and really grow my own perspective through others. And having the freedom to explore solutions for Mars, to take calculated risks…it’s all very rewarding..  

One way that STEM professionals, regardless of gender, can create clearer paths for women is by supporting continued professional development. Not only does this help the young scientist grow, it fuels life-long curiosity and exploration, and helps build her confidence in terms of what’s possible.

At the same time, we need to think about ways to help women build their external networks, which are important for many reasons – learning, contributing, collaborating, future career development. When you’re a young scientist coming into industry, it’s easy to get sucked into specific industry networks, and forget your professional science and technology networks. Mentors can help guide younger scientist to participate in both.  

I feel very lucky that through my 30-year career at Mars, those doors were opened so I could follow my passion for science technology. I’ve stayed here because I’ve been able to do what I love. So that’s another takeaway – find a company whose values align with your own. When your co-workers are aligned, inspired and rallied by a common purpose, amazing things happen. Every day, I’m motivated by the power, the passion of the people around me and their enthusiasm for the work.

I also appreciate that my employer is intentional about recognizing our amazing women in STEM. This is how girls and young women can see the possibilities! In the interest of doing the same, I’d like to share an article about our 2021 Mars R&D Awards winners – the majority of whom were women. And another about our first all-female research team I was honoured to work alongside at the Mars Global Food Safety Center. Mars Petcare has an inspiring conversation with leader Dr. Jennifer Welser, while Dr. Maria Velissariou, Chief Science Officer, also offers her perspective on women in STEM. I also invite you to read related blogs by my colleagues, Helen Mills, Global VP, Head of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability; Kay O’Donnell, VP Waltham Petcare Science Institute; Paola De Almeida, Global Director, Corporate Innovation; and Nici Bush, Vice President Innovation, Science and Technology. 

At Mars, we have so many amazing women in science doing incredible work they love. So next time you close your eyes and picture a scientist, I hope you’ll re-imagine the impressive diversity we all bring to the table!