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Tag: STEM

Scientific careers that are transforming the future of food for humanity

María Luisa Cabrera in the laboratory where she conducts her research at CIMMYT. (Photo: Francisco Alarcón / CIMMYT)

The progress of science and technology depends on the diversity of talent that contributes to its development. However, the participation of women in fields such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) remains limited. In Mexico, only 22% of women enrolled in higher education choose STEM fields, and according to the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO), only 13.5% graduate.

This situation presents both challenges and opportunities. Science, especially in critical areas such as food security and nutrition, needs a greater presence of women to drive significant change. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has highlighted the urgency of integrating more women researchers into agricultural science to accelerate innovations that improve production and the well-being of rural communities.

One example of the transformative impact of women in science is María Luisa Cabrera Soto. Since childhood, Luisa was inspired by female scientists she saw in the media, which fueled her dream of working in a laboratory. “These women were my reference, my source of inspiration. I visualized myself and said, ‘I want to work in a lab.'” But her journey was not easy. Coming from a family with traditional gender expectations, she faced resistance to her desire to pursue a career in science.

The first obstacle she encountered was her family’s outright disapproval. “I come from a family of six women and a patriarchal figure. Hearing phrases like ‘you are not capable of studying something as complex as science or mathematics’ was the first barrier I had to overcome,” she recalls.
“I had to break these family stigmas, these traditions, and say to myself: ‘I am capable of studying what motivates and inspires me, which is science. Being a woman does not limit me to domestic activities.'”

Today, the girl who once dreamed of working in a laboratory is part of the CIMMYT research team. As a research assistant, her work in chromatography—a process that allows the separation, identification, and quantification of chemical components in various mixtures—helps assess the nutritional quality of various crops, primarily maize. Her work has a direct impact on the nutrition and health of various populations, as well as the livelihoods of agricultural producers.

María Luisa’s story has become an inspiration to her sisters, who have also ventured into the world of science, demonstrating how one personal choice can inspire change across generations. “I broke the paradigm in my family, and fortunately my four younger sisters also chose science. It was a change that broke down a major barrier in my home.”

Through their scientific work, Luisa and other female researchers at CIMMYT are making a significant contribution to improving the human condition in a sector where women play a critical role in food production and security, from the field to the laboratory.

The low percentage of women in STEM fields in Mexico and globally is not only an issue of equity—it is also an obstacle to developing innovative solutions in key sectors. According to UNESCO, only 33.3% of researchers worldwide are women. Luisa’s message to girls and young women in Mexico is clear: “Follow your dreams, question the world, and don’t let social ideologies or family traditions dampen your curiosity and enthusiasm. More and more women are joining this field, and we must support one another.”

Being the change you wanted to see as a young girl

In the traditional Indian society Madhulika Singh grew up in, girls choosing to study science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) was as radical as choosing a life partner on their own.

“They say women hold up half the sky. I believe they should hold up as much and contribute equally in STEM too,” says Singh, now an agriculture specialist at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT).

In her early teens she saw her mother, a school headmaster, comfortably navigate her career along with her domestic responsibilities without a sweat. She later saw a similar example in her sister-in-law. “I grew up thinking ‘there is so much that a woman is capable of,’ whether at home or her workplace,” Singh recalls.

This strong idea of women’s potential led her to pursue studies in science. “Many women before me, like my mother’s generation, were encouraged to take up [careers in] humanities — become a teacher, or pursue home management courses — to ensure a smooth transition once married,” Singh explains. She hoped this would change during her time and that following a career in STEM would be a matter of choice — not gender.

Singh’s goals and ambitions were very clear from the very beginning. In school, she was interested in biology, particularly plant studies and botany. Her inquisitive nature was reflected in her projects and presentations, scoring her high grades. She demonstrated a thorough understanding of plant physiology and her passion for the subject. The budding scientist always wanted to know more and to do more, which Singh feels resonates with her current research and publications.

A popular quote attributed to Mahatma Gandhi says “Be the change you want to see in the world.” When Singh chose to take up plant science in graduate school and then agriculture science for her doctorate, she became the change she had hoped to see in her home and society as a young girl. With the support from her family but a skeptical society, she went ahead and pursued a career in STEM, beginning her research on maize genotypes and conservation agriculture. In 2013 she joined CIMMYT as a physiologist.

CIMMYT researcher Madhulika Singh takes notes while talking to farmers about their rice-wheat cropping practice in Nalanda, Bihar state, India. (Photo: CIMMYT)
CIMMYT researcher Madhulika Singh takes notes while talking to farmers about their rice-wheat cropping practice in Nalanda, Bihar state, India. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Helping farmers transition to conservation agriculture

Singh currently works in her home state of Bihar for the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA), led by CIMMYT. She is engaged with over ten thousand farmers from the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, supporting the adoption of  conservation agriculture practices.

Farming is vital for the region, as nearly 70% of the population is engaged in agriculture and extension services. However, food and livelihoods are threatened by the small size of farms, low incomes, and comparatively low levels of agricultural mechanization, irrigation and productivity.

Singh and her colleagues have led the transition from traditional farming to sustainable intensification practices — like early wheat sowing, zero tillage and direct-seeded rice — which have helped smallholder farmers increase their yield potential substantially.

“We believe a project like CSISA, along with the government and partners, can help advance and support in realizing the full agriculture potential of these regions,” Singh explains.

Roots in the soil

Her grandparents were farmers. “To be able to care for the land that provided you nourishment and a living was always admired upon,” she says. As a crop scientist, Singh’s family acknowledges her work as an extension of the services her grandparents practiced.

Sustained by this motivation and encouragement, Singh feels reassured of her role: joining other scientists, partners and farmers to make agriculture sustainable and our communities food-secure.

“The fact that the data we generate from our experiments serve as building blocks in the generation of knowledge and help farmers optimize the cost of inputs and increase their productivity is fulfilling and enriching to me,” Singh expresses.

Apart from working to build the capacity of farmers and extension workers, Singh supports the implementation of field trials and community-based technology demonstrations. She also helps refine key agricultural innovations, through participatory testing, and optimizes cropping systems in the region.

Leading the way for for the next generation

A true representative of the STEM community, Singh is always learning and using her experience to give back to society. She has co-authored numerous books and contributed to journals, sharing her knowledge with others.

Other women leaders in STEM have inspired Singh in her professional life, including CIMMYT’s former deputy director general for research Marianne Banziger. Singh believes Banziger was trailblazing and that young girls today have many female role models in STEM that can serve as inspiration.

The change is already here and many more young women work in STEM, pursuing excellence in agriculture sciences, engineering and research studies contributing to as well as claiming “half the sky.”

Cover photo: CIMMYT researcher Madhulika Singh (center-right) stands with farmers from self-help groups in the village of Nawtanwa, West Champaran, in India’s Bihar state. CIMMYT works on gender inclusion and participation through partnerships with other organizations and self-help groups. (Photo: CIMMYT)

Explore our coverage of International Women’s Day 2022.

Meet the role models for the next generation of women and girls in science

CIMMYT scientist Gemma Molero speaks at the 9th International Wheat Congress in Sydney, Australia, in 2015. (Photo: Julie Mollins/CIMMYT)
CIMMYT scientist Gemma Molero speaks at the 9th International Wheat Congress in Sydney, Australia, in 2015. (Photo: Julie Mollins/CIMMYT)

“We need to encourage and support girls and women to achieve their full potential as scientific researchers and innovators,” says UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres. And he is right. Bridging the gender gap in science is central to achieving sustainable development goals and fulfilling the promises of the 2030 Agenda.

Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. While in recent years the global community has increased its efforts to engage women and girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), they remain staggeringly underrepresented in these fields. According to UNESCO, less than 30 percent of the world’s researchers are women, and only one in three female students in higher education selects STEM subjects.

“Science is male-dominated,” agrees CIMMYT wheat physiologist Gemma Molero. “It’s challenging being a woman and being young — conditions over which we have no control but which can somehow blind peers to our scientific knowledge and capacity.”

Samjhana Khanal surveys heat-tolerant maize varieties in Ludhiana, India, during a field day at the 13th Asian Maize Conference. (Photo: Manjit Singh/Punjab Agricultural University)
Samjhana Khanal surveys heat-tolerant maize varieties in Ludhiana, India, during a field day at the 13th Asian Maize Conference. (Photo: Manjit Singh/Punjab Agricultural University)

Investing in the science education for women and girls is a key part of changing this reality. Samjhana Khanal, a Nepali agricultural graduate, social entrepreneur and recipient of a 2018 MAIZE-Asia Youth Innovator Award testifies to this. She cites support from her family as a driving factor in allowing her to pursue her education, particularly her mother, who “despite having no education, not being able to read or write a single word, dreamed of having a scientist daughter.”

Enhancing the visibility of established female scientists who can serve as role models for younger generations is equally important.

“One of the most important factors that register subconsciously when undergraduates consider careers is what the person at the front of the room looks like,” claims the Association for Women in Science, “and women and underrepresented minorities visibly perceive their low numbers in fields like engineering and physical sciences.”

Visiting researcher Fazleen Abdul Fatah is studying the the growing importance of maize and wheat in emerging economies.
Visiting researcher Fazleen Abdul Fatah is studying the the growing importance of maize and wheat in emerging economies.

Fazleen Abdul Fatah is a senior lecturer in agricultural economics, trade and policy at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UITM), Malaysia, who recently spent three months as a visiting researcher based at CIMMYT’s global headquarters in Mexico. She acknowledges the importance of raising the visibility of minority female scientists who can serve as role models for young girls by demonstrating that careers in STEM are attainable.

“I had an amazing professor during my undergraduate degree who really inspired me to move forward in the field,” says Abdul Fatah. “She was a wonderful example of how to do great maths, lead successful national and international projects, work in the STEM field, and be a mom.”

With support from CIMMYT, Molero, Khanal and Abdul Fatah are helping pave the way for the next generation of female scientists. Whether working on crop physiology, nutrient management or food consumption patterns, their careers serve as an inspiration for young and early career researchers around the world.

Read their stories here:

Breaking Ground: Gemma Molero sheds light on wheat photosynthesis

Let’s make hunger history: Samjhana Khanal

Visiting researcher from Malaysia studies growing importance of maize and wheat in the country

Explore CIMMYT’s job openings and training and research opportunities.