The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the Canadian government recently joined forces to gather female chemists, during the Symposium on Women in Chemistry in Ottawa, Canada.
OPCW officials said the two-day effort involved discussing how the women support each other professionally and they could project their voices more prominently in chemical science.
“Canada firmly believes that promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls, including, but by no means limited to, strengthening women in chemistry for peaceful purposes, is the single most effective action we can take to build a more peaceful, more inclusive and more prosperous world,” Mark Gwozdecky, assistant deputy minister, International Security and Political Affairs, Global Affairs of Canada, said.
The endeavor also sought to highlight the role of women in the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, including chemical safety and security management.
“Women have contributed to the peaceful uses of chemistry throughout history, but they still remain underrepresented in this field,” Xiaohui Wu, head of the OPCW’s International Cooperation Branch, said.
Wu encouraged successful professional women to keep the door open so that more women chemists can pass through and thrive, be it in international organizations like the OPCW, the government, industry or academia.