Middle East
20th edition of the l’Oréal-Unesco For Women In Science Awards
On Thursday, March 22nd, the L’Oréal Foundation is honoring five exceptional female scientists during the 2018 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards, held at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris.
The 20th anniversary of the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science programme recognizes 5 prominent women scientists and highlight 15 up-and-coming young female scientists.
Women continue to be under-represented in science, where the glass ceiling is still a reality. Today, only 11% of leadership positions in academic institutions are occupied by women and 3% of Nobel Prizes for Science have been awarded to women since the awards began in 1901.
And yet, there are many eminent women scientists. For the past 20 years, the L’Oréal Foundation has been working, in partnership with UNESCO, to increase the proportion of women in scientific research and to promote greater gender equality in science.
The 2018 laureates: women scientists at the cutting-edge
The 5 exceptional researchers of the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women In Science Award are honored for their major scientific contribution in the fields of medicine, paleontology, molecular biology, ecology and developmental biology.
Since 1998, this programme has honored 102 laureates for excellence in science, three of whom have gone on to win a Nobel Prize.
In order to further highlight these women, the L’Oréal Foundation is raising awareness of their achievements. The L'Oréal Foundation has launched a global communications campaign in 7 international airports (Paris, New York, Beijing, London, Dubai, Sao Paulo and Johannesburg) and throughout Paris, in partnership with JCDecaux and Aéroports de Paris.
The 2018 international rising talents
Over the past 20 years, the L’Oréal Foundation and UNESCO have also supported more than 3,000 talented young female scientists through research fellowships, across 117 countries. These L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science fellowships are awarded annually to 275 promising scientists, at national and regional ceremonies.
Of these 275 young scientists, 15 are selected to be part of the International Rising Talents programme.