Women are still underrepresented in science, particularly at senior career levels and leadership. The "leaky pipeline" persists in bioinformatics, as it does in other STEM areas, due to biases in hiring, tenure, visibility, and recognition. Addressing these disparities is essential for fostering diversity, inclusion, and innovation in academia. Gender equality is not merely an ethical imperative but also a key promoter of productivity and innovation among scientific teams.
This session is a continuation of desk research and takeaways from a workshop that will be conducted during the ELIXIR All Hands in June 2025, providing an open forum to share and exchange initiatives that enable and foster women in science. The Bioinfo4Women initiative will share its successful activities, including mentoring and fellowship schemes, visibility actions, establishment of research lines, and best practices for advancing women to leadership positions.
The session will end with an open debate, where participants can exchange experiences and discuss pragmatic strategies for enhancing gender equality in bioinformatics and beyond.