‘Many women not interested in doing science
German researcher Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard, who won the Nobel Prize in physiology in 1995, feels that many women were not interested in doing science although there was no difference in the “scientific abilities” of men and women.
Volhard is in Goa to address teachers, students and researchers as a part of the three-day long Nobel Series organised by Nobel Media and Goa government’s Department of Science and Technology that began on Thursday.
“It’s a tradition that men have the big profession and the women don’t get the big profession. I had the opportunity to do good research, where rest of the other were men,” she said on Friday.
“Women should have the first opportunity to do good science and when you do good science, you might also win a Nobel Prize. But there is no fundamental difference between scientific abilities between a woman and a man. But it is few women who chose this profession,” she said.
The 75-year-old scientist, who won the Nobel Prize in physiology with Eric Wieschaus and Edward B Lewis for their research on the genetic control of embryonic development, was replying to a question why not many women scientists have won the coveted prize so far. “Many women are not interested in science, so I don’t think they should do science, and it is not necessary that every other person in science should be a woman,” she said.
But Volhard was optimistic about Indian women in the research field. “There are very talented Indian women, I know, maybe who want to choose this profession,” she added.
Responding to a question why not many women were interested in science, she said, “Women are interested in many things. They tend not to focus so much on a particular topic, which is perhaps required to do good science. Many men are very focused and do nothing else but do science and this is a way of life.”
She said that the situation as far as women in research is concerned is changing for the better. “But I don’t know to which level it will change,” she commented.
Back in Germany, Volhard has launched an initiative of freeing women scientists with children from the burden of doing household tasks at a make-or-break point in their career by funding their need to alleviate domestic load. “If you are a researcher, you need to place into lot of efforts and energy. People have families and they have to take care of their children and their households if their husband is not participating in it, then they have little time to be good scientists, so we help them out with this money towards this cause,” she said.
Volhard, along with fellow laureate Prof Richard J Roberts, also advised students that endurance was the key to success in any scientific discovery. Roberts said parents are overprotecting their children, especially in the cities.
“Children living in farms are healthier and closer to nature. Parents must let their children free to explore the wonders of science. We must follow our own interests and develop talent. If you do not like a field, do not hesitate in switching,” he said.
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