Opportunities for Women in Science

Abstract

At a recent meeting of medical scientists at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva it was noted that the proportion of women engaged in scientific work varies greatly in different countries. In some places they form a large part of the effective work-force engaged in science teaching and research, while in other parts of the world there are practically no women scientists at all. The absence of women scientists is especially evident in some of those regions where health standards are low and the need for scientists is greatest. Further progress in preventive medicine, as in many other fields, depends to an increasing extent on the availability of scientists and technicians able to carry out investigations using modern scientific techniques. There is still a vast amount of suffering in the world due to factors such as malnutrition which could be prevented if more trained scientists were available in the areas where they are needed, and if the standard of scientific education of the general population could be raised.