To mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, ESA joined organisations across the EIROforum network to celebrate the diversity of women shaping science and technology in Europe. Featured here are voices and faces from across the community: Soraya Zwahlen, a predoctoral fellow at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL); Asar Jaradat, a Marie Skłodowska-Curie PhD Fellow at CERN; Cristina González Torres, Survey and Alignment Engineer at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF); Paula Sánchez Sáez, User Support Astronomer at the European Southern Observatory (ESO); Dr Sara Casalbuoni, Group Leader for Undulator Systems at European XFEL; and Giuliana Manzin, Head of the Design and Calculation Office at the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL).
The collage also includes ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot. Together, their experiences and words of wisdom underscore the importance of community, mutual support and inclusive practices in closing the gender gap in STEM.
[Image description: A wide horizontal banner composed of seven vertical portraits placed side by side. Each portrait shows a woman facing the camera, photographed in different professional environments such as laboratories, technical facilities and research spaces. The women wear a variety of clothing, including lab coats, work overalls, business attire and technical jackets. Backgrounds include scientific equipment, industrial infrastructure, shelving with laboratory materials and a space-themed backdrop. The composition presents the portraits evenly across the frame, highlighting a diversity of appearances, ages and work settings.]