Suffrage Science

Women make up almost fifty percent of the world's workforce, but when it comes to positions of power this number plummets, especially in the physical sciences. Only six percent of women in physics have made it past the glass ceiling and become professors. The Medical Research Council has joined forces with Imperial College London, the University of the Arts London and L'Oréal to promote women in science as part of its annual event, Suffrage Science. Today, on International Women's Day, we celebrate twelve leading women scientists (pictured) in engineering, medicine and the physical sciences. Inspired by the suffragettes, who awarded bespoke jewellery to honour the contributions of women who fought for the right to vote, these twelve scientists will receive jewellery heirlooms for their achievements. Come 2015, they will pass these heirlooms on to deserving women scientists in a bid to encourage them to also climb to the top.

Written by Lux Fatimathas

Lux Fatimathas

Writer

Having pursued science through a career in research, communications and publishing, she is currently a writer and editor for a healthcare marketing agency and also juggles freelance science writing.

• Click here to read the full Suffrage Science 2013 publication online
• Illustrations by Martin Lynch-Smith