This Wednesday the Futura Project was presented at the Príncipe Felipe Research Center (CIPF) in Valencia in an innovative day for the leadership of women in science, organized by the Spanish Association for Executive Development in Science, Innovation and Art (ASEDECIA) and which has the participation of Global Omnium, the Miguel Hernández University, the University of Valencia, the CEU San Pablo Foundation and INCLIVA, among other entities.
With the participation of more than 150 researchers and trainers, Deborah J. Burks, director of the CIPF and ally of the project, highlighted that 68% of the CIPF staff are women, and 60% of the research groups are led by women, the result of an Equality Plan that reflects "the importance of institutionally generating a culture of promoting women in leadership positions."
Luisa Bravo, president of ASEDEC I A and the Futura Project, explained that “this is the first experimental study in the world that will measure the impact of bringing two methodologies to science: Coaching and leadership training adapted to science. ”.
In this sense, Mónica Lorente, responsible for development of the physical-chemistry area of GAMASER of Global Omnium, has pointed out “the absolute involvement of the Valencian business group from the beginning of the project in the objective of highlighting the leadership of women in the science and take it a step further. The I D i Department is led by María Ángeles Serrano.
Eloísa del Pino, director of the Scientific Research Center (CSIC), has said of the idea that it is "wonderful and inspiring, as well as timely", given that she has referred to the "scissors graph, that abysmal distance between women scientists who achieve positions of responsibility and leadership compared to men, with more than 70% of the positions occupied by male scientists and less than 30% by women.
Del Pino has pointed out that reading these reports gives the impression that we are not moving forward and that the glass ceiling seems very resistant, which is why this year, within the III Equality Plan, we have included a particularly important measure, to analyze the last 15 years, try to find out why, "to act like a scalpel."
At the inauguration, the rector of the Miguel Hernández University, Juan José Ruiz, expressed “the commitment of his institution to inclusive policies that break the famous glass ceilings and the prejudices that prevent women from achieving leadership and for this reason, we were the first to join the Futura Project.”
Mavi Mestre, rector of the University of Valencia, has also defined the initiative as “crucial and significant, in an issue in which the University of Valencia has made significant progress. An issue that concerns us and moves us to act. “It is an essential initiative that combines ethical and scientific commitment so that women have more tools.” And she says it, “the first rector of a University that has taken 518 years for a woman to reach the rectorate,” she has highlighted.
The opening ceremony was attended by M.ª José Ferrer San Segundo, first deputy mayor of the Valencia City Council, who highlighted the importance of this initiative to break the glass ceiling and the exemplary nature of the women who gathered today at the IPPC.
During the morning session, the Women in Science panel was held with the participation of Maite Paramio, president of the Association of Women Researchers and Technologists, and Virginia Langbackk, first director of the European Institute for Gender Equality.
The director of the National Cancer Research Center, María Blasco, has also participated, commenting on a recent study by the Harvard Business Review, explaining that it has “a somewhat disturbing conclusion” because she talks about the fact that the predominant culture continues to be that of 24/7. , “a culture of overwork that is still very present.”
In the subsequent table, Women's Leadership in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Mar Porras, from the Executive Board of the STEM Women Congress, participated; M.ª Ángeles Martin, president of Skylife Engineering; Laura Olcina, president of the Spanish Federation of Technology Centers and Isabel García, researcher at the Energy Research Center.
The closing of the morning was given by Magdalena Cordero, former Director of Information and Innovation of the Court of Accounts and Mariola Penadés, General Director of Research and Innovation of the Ministry of Health. Penadés has pointed out that “talent has no gender and in no case should it be an impediment for anyone to achieve excellence. The world of science and research is greatly enriched by diversity and by the different perspectives that each person, regardless of their gender, brings to the table and contributes to society.
