An Argentine physicist was chosen to lead a group of nearly one hundred researchers from various countries who carry out scientific tasks in Antarctica as part of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Action Group within the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).
This is the doctor in Physics, researcher at Conicet and head in charge of the department of Atmospheric Sciences of the Argentine Antarctic Institute (IAA)Adriana Gulisano.
Within the framework of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, SCAR called to celebrate “all the women who contribute to polar science and inspire a new generation of girls in STEM careers (acronym in English for science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
The message emphasizes that “beyond representativeness, we want to celebrate changes in organizational structures that will make Antarctic science and operations more equitable.”
SCAR called to celebrate “all the women who contribute to polar science and inspire a new generation of girls.”
The EDI group will be led by an inaugural senior leadership team consisting of Gulisano, Deputy Director Zia Madani and Secretary Pilvi Muschitiello.
Gulisano told Télam that “Argentina always has a lot of weight in SCAR because it was one of the first signatory countries of the Antarctic Treaty.” “Gender equality is a subject that has always interested me very much,” he added.
Upon her application, she commented that “we were selected to advance in an area that until now had been very masculine, but where there is a critical mass of women who promote these changes.”
“We want to achieve equality and diversity in all areas of scientific and logistical activities in Antarctica and for that the first objective is to complete a survey of what are the protocols that each country applies in this matter in its Antarctic programs,” he specified.
“We want to achieve equality and diversity in all areas of scientific and logistical activities in Antarctica”Adriana Gulisano
And he added that it is not just about gender diversity, “but also language and geography because we want to be able to measure which sectors are overrepresented and which are underrepresented.”
“Argentina has been a pioneer in many things. In this Antarctic campaign, for the first time there will be women wintering in Belgrano II, which is the closest base to the South Pole of our country,” said the scientist, adding that “I am the first woman to hold the position of head of the department of Atmospheric Sciences of the IAA”,
He indicated that all State scientists “must move forward so that it is understood that capacity is independent of gender and put an end to the social issues that sometimes cause men to be chosen, because they are men, for roles in which there are capable women” .
“We have to move forward so that it is understood that capacity is independent of gender”Adriana Gulisano
“I joined the IAA in 2011 and Argentina has always made an effort in this direction, of course cultural changes are slow, but the important thing is that the will to move forward is clear,” he explained.
In this regard, he recalled: “In my first Antarctic campaign when I arrived at the base, everyone was surprised because they expected the ‘Gulisano doctor in physics’ and not the ‘Gulisano doctor in physics’, it was a funny situation because nobody knew what to do with a woman at the base”
“The search for gender equality and diversity is a global situation in which Argentina can say that it has already achieved achievements that other countries that some believe are more developed have not yet, there is a long road ahead in which we also want to promote the experiences of people with different degrees of disability who can do science in Antarctica, because diversity goes beyond gender,” he added.
Gulisano is a Scientific Researcher and Head of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences of the Argentine Antarctic Institute; she has been involved in numerous SCAR events and expert groups, serving as Deputy Director General of SCAR’s Physical Sciences Standing Group and as a member of SCAR’s GNSS Research and Application Expert Group for the Polar Environment.
