Sino-Dutch women in science: Bridging gender gap in research

The global proportion of female researchers has increased to 41 percent as of 2022, compared to only 28 percent in 2001, with a particularly prominent proportion of female researchers in the health sciences, according to the "Gender Equality in Research and Innovation 2024" by Elsevier, a global scientific and medical information analytics with renowned digital journals such as "The Lancet" and "Cell".

The numbers were shared during a seminar on Friday highlighting women in science, jointly organized by China's Ministry of Science and Technology and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in China. The event celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995 and aimed to encourage more women to pursue careers in scientific research.​

Despite these advancements, traditional research evaluation frameworks may overlook many contributions and impacts of female researchers. This undervaluation perpetuates gender inequality, posing significant challenges to the research ecosystem.​

"The Netherlands and China recognize this challenge, and both countries are committed to promoting gender equality in science," said Roderick Wols, Minister Plenipotentiary and Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Beijing. 

From keynote speeches to panel discussion, the event showcased the outstanding achievements of female scientists in Sino-Dutch collaborative research projects, offered career advice to researchers, and shared strategies and best practices for promoting women in the scientific field.

Sino-Dutch scientific cooperation has a long-standing and productive history. Speakers at the event shared recent progress in joint projects, including research between the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research on adult pancreas stem cells for regenerative approaches in diabetes, and collaborations in advanced battery technologies.​

A panel discussion concluded the event, focusing on the advantages and concerns of being female scientists.

"Do not let her choose what she should do. Let her choose what she likes," said Li Hongnan, a professor at the Institute of Agricultural Environment and Sustainable Development at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.