• For the second consecutive year, the centre has brought together workers in a commemorative session for the International Day of Women and Girls in Science
• The act responds to one of the actions established in the ‘Pla d’Igualtat de Gènere 2022’

February 15, 2024

For the second consecutive year, the Center for Agri-Food Economics and Development (CREDA) held, on Monday, February 12, a day dedicated to promoting gender equality in education and employment in science and technology within the framework of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

The event, which brought together a total of 27 workers from the centre, was divided into four sessions led by three colleagues from CREDA and a guest from the Departament d’Igualtat de la Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC).

The first intervention was given by Cristina Poyato, head of communication at the research center, who explained the situation of women in CREDA, “in the last five years, the number of women in each department (researchers, technicians and administrative) has remained more or less stable and around 50%.” Poyato stressed that although the figures show a good egalitarian situation, “we must promote the hiring of postdoctoral researchers“, since there is a great difference with men.

Next, Aina Troncoso, feminist psychologist, gave a reflection session on gender roles and stereotypes, which, she highlights, “affect everyone involuntarily.” According to Troncoso, “stereotypes provide us with a norm and an exclusion and are based on the fact that men and women are different.” Thus, the workshop allowed us to know the impact of stereotypes at younger ages, such as childhood.

After a more introspective session, Lanjiao Wen, visiting researcher at CREDA and professor at Huazhong Agricultural University, shared her experience in the world of research in her home country, China. “After almost 15 years at the same university, I have not seen too many changes in the gender gap, the highest and most powerful positions are still occupied by men”, with these statements, Wen highlighted how despite advancing in the fight, there are situations that remain the same.

Similarly, Mahdieh Khezrinejadgharaei, a doctoral student at CREDA, shared that “very few women manage to succeed in the field of science and technology in Iran”, the country where she was born. Using her own experience as an example, Khezrinejadgharaei explained how “the majority must migrate to other countries like the United States to be able to study and work.”

With the celebration of this day, CREDA expressed its position regarding the global barriers that prevent the access and participation of girls and women in the fields of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). In addition, the event responds to action 11 of the centre’s ‘Pla d’Igualtat de Gènere 2022‘, which seeks to promote the communication and distribution of events around the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.