7 March 2025, 1 – 2 pm
As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2025, we gather to critically examine the journey of women in science and academia. While we’ve witnessed groundbreaking achievements – from Claudia Sheinbaum becoming Mexico’s first female president and scientist head of state, to the global influence of young leaders like Malala Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg – we must confront an uncomfortable truth: increased representation alone hasn’t transformed the fundamental power dynamics that continue to challenge women in scientific spaces.
This conversation with ITM alumna and colleague Ana Lucia Martinez Abarca will explore how women navigate these structural barriers, the burden of maintaining multiple roles, and most importantly, how we can move beyond adaptation to create genuine systemic change in academia and scientific institutions.
Key discussion points:
- Beyond numbers: The gap between representation and real power transformation
- Double standards and triple burdens: Managing professional excellence while fulfilling societal expectations
- Structural power dynamics: Identifying and challenging traditional academic hierarchies
- From adaptation to transformation: Strategies for genuine institutional change
- Future challenges: Protecting progress in the face of global political shifts
The conversation will be moderated by Maria Luísa Simões, Head of the Unit of Experimental Immunology in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, and member of the ITM Working Group on Gender and Diversity.
Research fellow, Unit of Pharmaceutical Public Health, ITM (Belgium)
Ana Lucia Martinez Abarca is a medical doctor and social scientist specializing in bioethics, gender studies, and healthcare transformation. She holds a PhD in Health Sciences and has extensive expertise in qualitative research. Her work focuses on sexual and reproductive health rights and tackles systemic barriers in healthcare and medical education. With an interdisciplinary background, she combines research excellence with a commitment to ethical healthcare transformation, particularly in advancing gender equity in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in low-income countries.
