Evie | Montevideo (Uruguay) – March 5, 2024
The world of Uruguay Cecilia Saez It has been granted Prize “For Women in Science” Created by L'Oréal and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Working to eliminate parasites in crops using active molecules.
The scientist received the award during a ceremony held at the Solis Theater in Montevideo, where she expressed her gratitude for the award, which gives visibility to the work she and her team are doing, while enabling her to continue developing the research thanks to a reward of $20,000.
Dr. Saez who He also works as a professor at the University of the RepublicHe explained that the company is working to solve the problems of nematode infestation in horticultural crops – mainly tomatoes – through molecules that combat these pests “specifically and without toxicity to the environment.”
These awards reward projects led by Uruguayan scientists who have been distinguished by their dedication, commitment and contribution to the development of research in the South American country for sixteen years.
Recognition of scholars
“It is important that these awards highlight the situation that leads to ownership Many women are dedicated to science, not all of them have access to certain places, “The responsibility to care has a big impact there,” Uruguay's Vice President, Beatriz Argemon, told the press at the event.
She also emphasized that in the case of female scientists, allocating hours to research outside normal working hours means subtracting them from the space allocated to the family, which entails greater difficulties for women than for men.
According to the Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Montevideo, Ernesto Fernandez Bolcoc, these obstacles mean that there are Far more women at early career levels than at higher levels.
“Women's professional lives often suffer from issues that are not taken into account, such as evaluation through publications: if there is a break in work due to motherhood issues, women seem to publish less than men in the same period of time,” she explained. .
Empowering more women in the scientific field
However, Fernandez Bolcoc admitted that Uruguay has a “very high” level of equality and highlighted the work of this type of award to prove to girls, but also to men, that There is a model for Scientific woman Beyond that seen in many other aspects.
L'Oréal Group Director in Uruguay, Nicolas Uberti, stressed his commitment to “empowering” more female scientists to participate in solving societal problems and ensuring equal opportunities in science.
Uberti noted the work that still needs to be done on this matter, in light of this Only 33% of researchers worldwide are women Less than 4% of Nobel Prizes in Science throughout history have gone to women.
