It seems fitting that a brand synonymous with products that support the way women choose to look on the outside should find a way to encourage the dreams that lie inside all women.
So it was that 18 years ago, L’Oreal partnered with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to create their For Women in Science program, in an effort to promote, encourage, and support women in an industry where a great gender imbalance still remains.
Late last week, at an event honouring five leading women scientists and 15 young researchers (who you can read about here) at Paris’s Sorbonne University, Director General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, and Chairman/CEO of L’Oreal and the L’Oreal Foundation Jean-Paul Agon, took the opportunity to announce the For Women in Science Manifesto.
https://youtu.be/pjQJo9TaPBE
Designed with the intention of raising awareness of the under-representation of women in the sciences, the manifesto lists six commitments that signatories agree to uphold:
- Encourage girls to explore scientific career paths.
- Break down the barriers that prevent women scientists from pursuing long
term careers in research. - Prioritise women’s access to senior positions and leadership positions
in the sciences. - Celebrate with the general public the contribution that women scientists
make to scientific progress and to society. - Ensure gender equality through participation and leadership in
symposiums and scientific commissions, such as conferences, committees
and board meetings. - Promote mentoring and networking for young scientists to enable them to
plan and develop careers that meet their expectations.
“Collective strength is what we want to see emerge tonight from our Manifesto. Beyond the scientific and institutional communities, we want to give everyone the chance to sign the For Women in Science Manifesto and join the cause,” stated Agon.
870 people, including Australian-American molecular biologist Elizabeth Blackburn, have already signed the manifesto.
You can add your signature here.