L’Oreal – 10 Years of For Women in Science
Do you know what is common between the Theory of Radioactivity, the first 100% solar-powered house, stem cell isolation, the ice-cream maker and the first version of Monopoly? Well, all of them have been invented by women!
Now, another trivia: what percentage of Nobel Prizes for Science have been awarded to women? Come on, we dare you to guess?… The answer is 3%, only 3%. The data is discouraging as well when it comes to women in science in general as only 29% of researchers globally are female (2019 UNESCO report).
Namely to fight with such discrepancies, in 1998 L’Oreal and UNESCO established the global initiative For Women in Science and in 2010 in partnership with Sofia University they launched the program in Bulgaria. The initiative aims to provide recognition to women in science who through their work contribute to the development of science.
2020 was a special year for the For Women in Science program in Bulgaria, because the initiative celebrated its 10th anniversary! 10 great years for Bulgarian science, during which the program established itself as one of the most renowned scientific contests in Bulgaria and awarded 27 ladies for their impressive scientific potential, with a total prize fund of over 130,000 euros. 27 women empowered to change the world for the better.
The year 2020 was also special for the program because the extraordinary events once again proved how much the world needs science and science needs women!