By Alana Lewis
Every year, the UN’s International Day of Women and Girls in Science celebrates scientific progress that involves and uplifts every voice. Around the world, women are pushing the boundaries of knowledge in every sector, reimagining the world and redefining what scientific leadership looks like. From Guyana to Jordan, Spain to Uganda, we’re highlighting five women in science who are leading this movement, shaping the future of scientific discovery and innovation with their work.
Conservation of Health and Habitats
As Uganda’s first wildlife veterinary officer, Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka is an award-winning conservationist protecting the ecosystems of the country’s endangered mountain gorillas. She is the founder and CEO of Conservation Through Public Health, an organization that promotes the coexistence of humans, gorillas, and other wildlife. Her work blends environmental conservation and veterinary care with public health — for gorillas and other wildlife, this means programs that protect them from human and livestock diseases, and for humans, programs that promote family planning, improve local communication technologies, and educate people about the environment. In 2021, she was recognized as a Champion of the Earth by the United Nations Environmental Program. Dr. Kalema-Zikusoka’s unique approach to conservation makes her a trailblazer in wildlife and ecosystem protection.
Image credit: Nick Migwi & Isaac Obooth/CNN
Aviation Innovation
Dr. Sarah Qureshi is an aerospace engineer from Pakistan whose work is redefining the future of sustainable aviation. As the co-founder and CEO of Aero Engine Craft, she pioneered the development of a revolutionary contrail-free aircraft engine, which would reduce aviation’s carbon footprint and induce artificial rain during flight. In 2024, she was awarded the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz, one of Pakistan’s highest civil honors, in recognition of her excellence in the field of science. Dr. Qureshi’s research and entrepreneurship place her at the forefront of addressing climate, water, and innovation in green aviation technology.
Image Credit: PEC Brain Gain Portal. (n.d.). Engr. Dr. Sarah Qureshi. https://braingain.pec.org.pk/TalentPool/SarahQureshi
Tourism Trailblazer
Dr. Anna Boqué Ciurana, a researcher at Rovira i Virgili University in Spain, is helping to reshape the future of sustainable tourism. The tourism sector faces significant risks due to climate change. Through the EU-funded IMPETUS project, which focuses on science-based climate adaptation solutions in real-world locations across Europe, Dr. Ciurana investigates climate conscious adaptations in the north eastern Catalan Coast. She explained the university team’s methodology behind their research during a UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network-hosted webinar as part of the project, “IMPETUS Climate Solutions Forum: Turning Research into Impact for a Resilient Future.” By creating workshops in tourist destinations along the coast, they analyzed how stakeholders perceive the effects of different climate events and how they respond. Certain weather conditions could impact planned tourist activities within local areas, resulting in potential economic loss — with this new model, knowing the weather conditions could allow local decision makers to adapt and identify climate-smart activities that fit those weather conditions. In advancing strategies that balance economic growth with environmental and cultural preservation, Dr. Ciruana’s work can be used to benefit other tourist destinations around the world.
Image Credit: researchid.co. (n.d.). Anna Boqué Ciurana. https://researchid.co/annaboque
Geneticist Activist
A trailblazer in genetics and epigenetics research as well as an advocate for social change, Dr. Rana Dajani is a Jordanian molecular biologist and professor of biology at Hashemite University. She studies the biological effects of trauma in refugee communities like Syrian refugee communities and Jordan’s Circassian and Chechen populations, who had fled religious persecution in the Caucasus Mountains, in what is now modern-day Russia, almost 200 years ago. Her groundbreaking work in stem cell research pioneered the development of the stem cell research ethics law in Jordan. She is also an advocate for social change, serving as a member of the UN Women Jordan Advisory and founding “We Love Reading,” an organization that promotes community-based literacy and empowerment. Formerly serving as President of the Society for Advancement of Science and Technology in the Arab World, Dr. Dajani is helping to advance not just our understanding of epigenetics but also a pathway of social justice.
Image Credit: Harvard Radcliffe Institute. (n.d.). Rana Dajani. https://www.radcliffe.harvard.edu/people/rana-dajani
Climate Champion
As a leading voice in environmental policy and education, Dr. Paulette Bynoe is a senior lecturer and former Dean of the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Guyana. With over 20 years of accomplishment as an interdisciplinary trained environmental scientist, her work is shaping how Caribbean nations confront climate change, natural resource management, and sustainable livelihoods. Her research covers a broad range of pressing topics, from the drivers and impacts of deforestation in the Amazon to energy transition and environmental education in developing countries. Dr. Bynoe also represents Guyana and the Caribbean on multiple international committees. One such committee includes the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network’s Science Panel for the Amazon, where she has participated in events like Youth Advisory Committee meetings to offer scientific and policy insights to develop evidence-based approaches to conservation and sustainability. Her contributions have led to her being awarded the Golden Arrow of Achievement, one of the most distinguished recognitions from the Order of Service in Guyana. Dr. Bynoe’s research is helping to build the intersectional future of climate resilience.
Image Credit: CRRK Network. (n.d.). Dr. Paulette Bynoe. https://uwi.edu/crrkn/member/dr-paulette-bynoe
Science is a field that relies on more voices, not fewer, to innovate, explore, and shape what tomorrow’s world looks like. The future of science is bold, global, and female — and this chapter is only beginning. The work of these brilliant women reflects the impact that diverse perspectives and pathways of thinking contribute to innovation. Discover the stories of women scientists who have laid the groundwork and those who are now paving the way for a brighter, more resilient world.
Alana Lewis is an English and Digital Technologies and Emerging Media student at Fordham University. She is currently a Communications Intern at SDG Academy, helping to support communications efforts after having worked previously in marketing, digital media, and communications spaces. She has served as a copy editor for her university’s student newspaper The Fordham Ram, and is also part of the Fordham English Law Society. She also runs an uplifting news blog and social media initiative Pale Blue Home, where she shares positive news and developments happening around the world. In her free time, Alana is a reader, writer, and baker, and can always be found crafting something.
