Celebrating International Women’s Day 2021
International Women’s Day 2021 aims at raising awareness on gender equality in our society at a time when the search for scientific breakthroughs for humanity and the search for equality, diversity and collaboration in science has never been more important. It is an opportunity to celebrate the resourcefulness, determination and resilience of all women who contribute to advancing science and those who inspire the future science heroes by showing what every girl and woman is capable of achieving.
On this occasion, Saeeda, Senior Scientist Technology Development at Abcam shares her story on the importance of having a mentor, as a woman in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), then becoming one to inspire change.
International Women’s Day 2021 aims at raising awareness on gender equality in our society at a time when the search for scientific breakthroughs for humanity and the search for equality, diversity and collaboration in science has never been more important. It is an opportunity to celebrate the resourcefulness, determination and resilience of all women who contribute to advancing science and those who inspire the future science heroes by showing what every girl and woman is capable of achieving.
On this occasion, Saeeda, Senior Scientist Technology Development at Abcam shares her story on the importance of having a mentor, as a woman in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), then becoming one to inspire change.
I fell in love with Science when I was at University. I was training to become a Pharmacist whilst the rest of my friends picked a career in Medicine or Dentistry. It is quite typical of many young Asian girls to choose a respectable job (which is often influenced by the family). However, something else sparked my interest; SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) was hitting the news which introduced me to the fascinating world of microbiology and infectious diseases. I couldn’t get it out of my head, I was focused and determined, so I made the decision to leave Pharmacy and I forged my way to secure a great PhD in Science.
Abcam deeply cares about bringing equality, diversity and inclusion into the workplace. Many of the changes we have recently made as a business directly support Women in Science, from our Diversity and Inclusion ERGs, our updated Global Family Leave Policy, our Gender Pay Gap Report and the opportunity to take advantage of flexible working.
Learn more about them in our sustainability report ‘Our Impact 2020’
Abcam has also pledged to support UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 5 to ‘Achieve Gender Equality and Empower all Women and Girls.’
More recently, Abcam extended its partnership with Work180, enabling us to further support supporting our female colleagues to achieve their goals in an agile, dedicate, and audacious environment.
We are also committed to creating and nurturing a workplace where women can thrive. To find out more about how Abcam is committed to equality in the workplace for women, visit this page
I fell in love with Science when I was at University. I was training to become a Pharmacist whilst the rest of my friends picked a career in Medicine or Dentistry. It is quite typical of many young Asian girls to choose a respectable job (which is often influenced by the family). However, something else sparked my interest; SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) was hitting the news which introduced me to the fascinating world of microbiology and infectious diseases. I couldn’t get it out of my head, I was focused and determined, so I made the decision to leave Pharmacy and I forged my way to secure a great PhD in Science.
I learnt a lot from my mentor, not just about scientific matters, but also about how to develop emotional resilience and how to remain determined when things go wrong
I was very proud of my choice, however, regardless of how strong your determination is, Science is inherently a difficult career. During my PhD I was very fortunate to receive guidance of a great mentor, who remains one of my closest friends. I learnt a lot from her, not just about scientific matters, but also about how to develop emotional resilience and how to remain determined even when things go wrong, and they often do. Failed experiments, rejected papers, unsuccessful grant applications, etc. rejection is relentless, and even in the worst situations, she was still able to make me believe in myself, by showing me the positive and what I was able to achieve. She hugely contributed to shape the female scientist that I have become.
I believe one of the reasons why women are not attracted to STEM career is because they are exposed too late to what STEM really is and how it contributes to the world we live in. I think it is important to engage with students before they take their GCSE and sometimes even younger. One of my greatest memories as a tutor was extracting DNA from strawberries and kiwi fruits with primary school children. I remember being nervous to follow on from fire fighters as they always steal the show, but I was pleasantly surprised to see how excited the children were about science.
A few years later, I joined Abcam where it was an obvious choice for me to volunteer as a mentor for In2Science, a programme that empowers young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to achieve their potential in STEM. What this experience has taught me is appreciation and awareness. If a programme like this existed when I was choosing my A-levels, I believe I would not have followed the Pharmacy route. Back then, it wasn’t clear to me what a career in science was. This is something that resonates with the students I have spoken to during my time as a mentor. Last year, I remember speaking to a young girl who was torn between what she really wanted to study and what her parents wished for her. We spoke about my experience, and it was a deeply engaging conversation in which this student learnt some things about herself. It was a very rewarding experience.
I am convinced that having strong and successful women role models can massively influence individuals even without them realising it. Today, I consider myself very fortunate to have been given the time from someone who was willing to show me how far I could go, simply because they cared to see
Abcam deeply cares about bringing equality, diversity and inclusion into the workplace. Many of the changes we have recently made as a business directly support Women in Science, from our Diversity and Inclusion ERGs, our updated Global Family Leave Policy, our Gender Pay Gap Report and the opportunity to take advantage of flexible working.
Learn more about them in our sustainability report ‘Our Impact 2020’
Abcam has also pledged to support UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 5 to ‘Achieve Gender Equality and Empower all Women and Girls.’
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