Islamabad: 11 Feb 2022 – Global Strategic Institute for Sustainable Development – GSISD, “THE” Society International and Islamabad Center for Regional Studies – ICRS celebrated the United Nations International Day of Women and Girls in Science by organizing an International Webinar on “Women, Science and Sustainable Development”.
Keeping in view the importance of women’s active role in scientific discipline all around the world, the global community celebrates this event every year on 11th February. The main focus of the webinar was women inclusion in science and sustainable development.
Science and gender equality are both vital for the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development. Over the past decades, the global community has made a lot of efforts in inspiring and engaging women and girls in science. Yet women and girls continue to be excluded from participating fully in science.
Engr. Qaiser Nawab, Founder Executive Director of GSISD stressed that “Today’s World Needs Science and Science Needs More Women and Girls”. He further said that women inclusion in science is important to achieve sustainable development goals. He also elaborated gender equality, women empowerment and role of youth in sustainable decision making process and ensuring global dignity.
Mr. Nawab thanked all the speakers for presenting significant talks on various aspects of women, science and sustainable development. He appreciated the efforts of the GSISD team who have successfully organized this event.
Mr. Nawab informed that “Global Strategic Institute for Sustainable Development (GSISD)” is a prestigious global policy research institute in the field of sustainable Development. It is a consortium of policy makers, civil society activists, academia and young leaders. He further said that the major purpose of this policy driven research institute is to initiate debate, dialogue and also to launch strategically focused and objective research to find sustainable solutions of various issues relevant to sustainable development.
Dr. Muhammad Shakeel Ahmed Co-Founder and Director General Research, Development and Planning, GSISD welcomed the participants and highlighted the importance of international webinar by appreciating the meritorious contributions of women in Science. “In the current age of COVID-19, women played an impressive role in public health and also worked as professional health workers at the frontline. It’s more important than ever to recognize women’s contributions in science, smash stereotypes and defeat discrimination against women and girls in science.” He added
The keynote speaker Ms. Lidia Natalia TRUSILEWICZ, a PhD senior scientist and postdoctoral subject matter expert of the European Commission and the diplomatic environment shared her views on the role of women in Science. She said that women played an excellent role in scientific discipline despite multilayered challenges. She also briefed Great women Scientist Marie Salomea Skłodowska Curie.
Dr Eng. Lidia Natalia is an honored representative of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) programme by the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport. She particularly enjoys being a science communicator and a Research & Development events organizer, as well as a professional volunteer in the fields of civil and environmental engineering science, waste management and circular economy.
Ambassador ® Fauzia Nasreen, President Islamabad Center for Regional Studies – ICRS stated that women should be employed to apply in all and every field and professions like education to science and to every possible realm of knowledge, so that they can make a transition at a regional and global level.
Women in science are playing a crucial role in the development of society. In recent years there’s been an increase of women and girls in science that shows that our society is progressing.
The people of other gender have been really supportive and shown acts of camaraderie according to Fauzia Nasreen as she was speaking from personal experience. She also pointed towards the UN SDGs and how it discusses the importance of women and girls participation in science and in a way it is good towards the economy and social development of a country or nation.
Amna Shabbir Khan, Research Associate of GSISD hosted the international webinar.
