MANILA, Philippines - The field of science has long been a man’s world: out of the over 350 Nobel Prize recipients awarded since 1901, only 10 of them have been women, constituting less than three percent of the total number of awardees. And while the tide has been turning for the past couple of decades, most academic communities have been traditionally unwelcoming to women, using reasons from biological functions to societal stereotypes and a woman’s marital status as arguments as to why a female could not head or chair a department or an academic institution.
Yet the work and value of women, not just in science but in other fields, are impossible to ignore. Women scientists, especially, have made great strides in providing invaluable contributions to the advancement of science and technology, breaking the proverbial glass ceiling and overcoming biases in the process, not to mention the bureaucracy and red tape inherent in any institution. In recognition of their achievements, global cosmetics brand leader L’Oreal struck a partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) 12 years ago to form the prestigious international program For Women in Science (FWIS), which aims to identify, reward and encourage young women in science. Since 1998, FWIS has become one of the most anticipated annual events in the scientific community in more than 93 countries, and has awarded nearly 1,100 women: 67 laureates from 30 countries and over 1,000 fellowship awardees.
The Philippines has finally joined this global scientific community: last year, L’Oreal Philippines launched FWIS National Fellowships-Philippines 2010, in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and UNESCO Philippines, to search for exceptional Filipinas working in the life and material sciences. The jury was chaired by professor Lourdes Cruz, the first Filipino and the first ASEAN Laureate of the FWIS L’Oreal-UNESCO Awards 2010. Last September, L’Oreal Philippines announced the first FWIS National Fellows in the Philippines, Dr. Maria Corazon De Ungria and Dr. Laura T. David, who were both awarded fellowship grants worth P400,000 as well as a plaque designed by Impy Pilapil.
Dr. De Ungria is a professional lecturer for the science and technology series at the College of Science, and is the head of the DNA analysis laboratory at the Natural Sciences Research Institute of the University of the Philippines. Her research proposal Mitochondrial DNA Diversity of Philippine Negrito Populations is part of an overall program that aims to study Philippine genetic diversity for anthropological, forensic and medical applications. “I think that finding that common genetic denominator among all the different ethno-linguistic groups in the Philippines is important for nation building,” Dr. De Ungria stated during the awarding ceremony. “Wouldn’t it be interesting to know what makes us Filipinos, Filipinos? There hasn’t been an exhaustive study yet on why there are so many ethno-linguistic groups in the Philippines, and this program is also aimed to identify the specificity and uniqueness of each group.” Dr. De Ungria added that studying the Filipino DNA will bring about a better appreciation among Filipinos of their own genetics and identity. “Genetics isn’t just about the DNA alone; it has to be put within context, such as a people’s history, language, belief system and culture.” Dr. De Ungria and her laboratory have also been widely lauded for their contribution to the Philippine criminal justice system through DNA analysis and evidence.
Dr. Laura T. David is a professor at the Marine Science Institute of the University of the Philippines. She is also an active member in the Technical Committee on Climate Change of the Philippine National Academy of Science and Technology, and of the IGBP-Land Ocean Interaction in the Coastal Zone Project SEAsia Node Core group. Her research proposal Endeavoring for Wise Mariculture entails a study of the different regions in the Philippines vis-à-vis their physical characteristics in order to evaluate their respective appropriateness as a mariculture park. Mariculture, or marine aquaculture, is the cultivation of marine plants and animals in their natural environment. “Food security is an issue in the Philippines, and the country’s mariculture is already stressed through red tide, water pollution, water flow, and a lot of other factors both environmental and brought upon by overpopulation,” Dr. David explained. “This study is an effort to make food security more sustainable by looking at the characteristics of each region and how intensely mariculture can be sustained there, such that it can survive climate and population changes.”
Of the partnership between a beauty brand and the scientific community to promote excellence among young women scientists, L’Oreal managing director Luc Olivier-Marquet said, “Scientific excellence has always been at the heart of L’Oreal: we invest heavily in research and innovation to ensure that we provide the best in the cosmetics industry. Dr. De Ungria and Dr. David are inspirational role models in choosing the road less taken, and even with that seemingly daunting decision, they have contributed much through their hard work in their chosen fields.”
The two awardees are optimistic that with FWIS, more young women will be interested and encouraged to work in science. “Women are naturally creative, resourceful and hardworking,” Dr. De Ungria noted. “But science isn’t about competing with men but working with and complementing each other.” The FWIS program also helps make science seem less like a cold boring subject and more of a dynamic field that is a tool for social progress. “With the support of L’Oreal, we hope that people can see how natural sciences can cross over to social sciences. There is just the need of support to relay what we know to the public and to make that knowledge work for the public.”
For FWIS National Fellowships-Philippines 2011, L’Oreal will expand its search of women scientists to the rest of the country through an academic tour that will make the rounds in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, with the help of DOST and UNESCO from October to November. Interested applicants who hold a Ph.D. degree in any field of science and are not more than 45 years old are encouraged to submit research proposals related to the life and material sciences. Nominations and submission of proposals will be accepted from November to February 2012.
* * *
To know more about FWIS National Fellowships – Philippines, log on to www.fwis.com.ph or email the FWIS Secretariat at FWISsecretariat@eon.com.ph.