Women in science are doing incredible things. Why don’t more people notice?

What you probably already know: University of California Berkeley biochemist Jennifer Doudna won the Nobel Prize in chemistry, along with French professor and researcher Emmanuelle Charpentier, for developing a method for CRISPR, a groundbreaking genome-editing technology. At Penn University’s Perelman School of Medicine, Dr. Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas was a key part of the team that created a made-to-order genetic treatment for a child with an ultra-rare disease. University of California Irvine Chemistry Professor Barbara J. Finlayson-Pitts was honored with a 2025 L’Oréal-UNESCO Women in Science International Award for her research into how air pollution forms at the molecular level, leading to policies to make the air cleaner. Women are vastly underrepresented in STEM fields, yet success stories are everywhere.

Why it matters: It’s easy to get blinded by statistics. In a report last December, Women in Stem Network notes that, while entry-level representation is improving, women account for only about 30% of scientific research jobs in Canada and North America. UNESCO says just 15% of women graduates across the globe choose STEM careers, compared to 35% for men. “There have been periods in history where women have been really quite a significant presence in science,” says Cordelia Fine, author of Patriachry, Inc: What We Get Wrong About Gender Equality and Why Men Still Win at Work, on the Nature Careers podcast in March. “I don't think the evidence supports this comforting, ‘different but equal story’ that says that the gender division of scientific labor is just reflecting our kind of, you know, natural, biological predispositions.”

What it means: Washington University Professor of Economics Ismael Mourifié suggests that fewer women choose STEM careers for a variety of reasons, including historic employment trends that create limiting gender stereotypes, caregiving responsibilities that often interrupt careers, and real and perceived discrimination. He cited one study that found parents were more likely to seek a tutor for a girl struggling in reading than in math — the opposite was true for boys. “This suggests that parents invest in their children’s education differently based on gender,” he says. “Highlighting these differences could encourage more informed and equitable decision-making.” Women that do persevere often face consequences. A survey cited by the Society of Women Engineers found that half of women in STEM jobs say they’ve experience workplace discrimination, and nearly a third say they were treated as if they weren’t competent.

What happens next: Doudna, who also received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 2025 and the 2026 Priestley Medal for outstanding discoveries, said on the Berkeley Voices podcast that she first became interested in science as a girl growing up on the Big Island of Hawaii while observing nature. She recalls a teacher in chemistry saying that “science is about solving puzzles.” She remembers thinking “I love solving puzzles” and was hooked. Her father, an academic, gave her a copy of The Double Helix, a book about the discovery of DNA structure. “I was absolutely captivated, and my father could see that in me, and I think he always encouraged it.” As Cassie Leonard, author of Beyond the Pipeline, says, “If we can learn to measure ourselves by our own yardstick, our own metrics, and not judge everyone else for their version of success, that’d be a beautiful place to go.”