With the conviction that the world needs science and science needs women, the L’Oréal Foundation and UNESCO held the first edition of the For Women In Science festival, where they invited 40 brilliant female researchers from different parts of the world, including our executive director, Sara Inés Lara. These innovators were part of last Tuesday’s virtual event, sharing their inspiring stories about how they are changing the world through their love for science, research and the environment.
Thanks to her hard work, resilience, and incredible passion, Sara has managed to bridge the gender gaps in the conservation sector and has become an example for future generations. Under her leadership, ProAves and Women for Conservation have empowered rural women in the buffer zones of the Foundation’s Nature Reserves to become guardians of conservation, and undertake the important challenge of protecting the environment and its species.
“The planet is being devastated, and the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems are in great danger of disappearing. Today, more than ever, nature needs women. Our ability to manage and protect natural resources is a solution that has yet to be discovered. This is why it is time for women to raise their voices and be heard,” says Sara.
Despite the immense obstacles and disparities that women face daily in the protection of nature, their strength and determination have increasingly made them the voice of hope for conservation. To learn more about how women’s empowerment is a top climate mitigation solution, please see this article by UC Berkeley Professor Matthew J. Parker.
We thank the L’Oréal Foundation and UNESCO for highlighting the admirable work of women in science, and working towards a more inclusive future.