Dr Clare Mifsud – SEA MARVEL researcher and educator
The Italia-Malta SEA MARVEL project has identified important themes for achieving effective, sustainable, and equitable development in science, innovation, and conservation. Commemoration of females in science (11 February) is one of these critical themes. Apart from being able to point out the SEA MARVEL project team is composed of 50% of females, the leading Maltese principal scientist is female too. In fact, Prof Adriana Vella has dedicated her professional scientific life to achieving innovation for conservation and sustainable development, while encouraging youths to follow suit regardless of gender. As the lead scientist of the Conservation Biology Research Group at the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Malta, she plans to further encourage this vision for a better management of the marine environment through science and innovation.
It is not surprising to note that the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres states that we can all do our part to unleash our world’s enormous untapped talent – starting with filling classrooms, laboratories, and boardrooms with women scientists. The I.D.E.A.S. brief highlights the need to Innovate, Demonstrate, Elevate, Advance and Sustain, which is essential for Malta, the Mediterranean region and beyond.
This year the UN International Day for Women and Girls in Science focuses on the females’ role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This role is particularly relevant in review of the forthcoming High-Level Political Forum (HLPF). The forum will consider:
- SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation),
- SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy),
- SDG 9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure),
- SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities) and
- SDG 17 (means of implementation).
It will also be following up on discussions on last year’s focus on “Water Unites Us”, the 2nd High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action on Water for Sustainable Development 2018-2028, held in Dushanbe, and the 2nd UN Ocean Conference and its High-Level Symposium on Water held in Lisbon, as a contribution for the 2023 UN Water Conference, and other UN Fora.
Regardless of which scientific expertise or profession, women are empowered to contribute their full potential without any bias held against them. The European Union has gone well ahead in promoting this in research projects’ gender balance criteria and not discriminating against female leadership in any scientific field. It is also commonplace to see more and more women take up demanding roles while still managing their traditional family caring responsibilities. Of course, where this open-mindedness is present, society has enriched itself with the input from more creative, scientific, and dedicated minds to resolve the ever more challenging problems the world faces.
If one considers all the gaps in knowledge that still need to be filled towards achieving sustainable management of marine and terrestrial ecosystems, which in turn affect human health directly and indirectly, society needs to uphold all its human resources.
The SEA MARVEL project has involved various stakeholders in schools, fishing villages, sailing crews and other sea users, Ministries, Natura 2000 site managers, and researchers. Across the board women and girls featured prominently not only for presence, participation, and keen interest in seeing this project bear fruit toward safeguarding marine resources and promoting scientific knowledge to solve the pending and unresolved problems.
It is therefore essential to see more women scientists reach higher representation in decision-making roles in all institutional levels, thus also encouraging girls to follow suit in the future. Brilliant minds and practical skills need to be encouraged from a tender age and girls in schools must believe that no profession is impossible if they dedicate themselves to it. Towards this goal, the Ministry for Education has wisely for many years invited established female scientists and experts in their fields to go in schools to talk with students and therefore show how diverse the skill sets that science may provide to the future needs of a country.
This commemorating theme is obviously not to be remembered during a single day but throughout the year and every year. SEA MARVEL has been presenting various exciting topics in science to various schools. It will continue to do so while providing an educational roving photographic exhibition to allow teachers and students to discuss with researchers how science paves the way to a better future when sustainability and equality are part of this too. Additionally, youths are being trained in innovative research methods for accurate biodiversity assessments and involving them in challenges to develop their confidence in expressing their thoughts, ideas, curiosities, creativity, and aspirations. The notion and practices towards plastic-free schools are also being developed as well. These actions are possible through the support of the Ministry for Education in Malta that is an associate partner of the SEA MARVEL project.
For further information, please contact Prof. Adriana Vella by sending her an email.
