Teagasc celebrating International Day of Women and Girls in Science

The International Day of Women and Girls in Science, celebrated on 11 February, is implemented by UNESCO and UN-Women, of the United Nations, in collaboration with institutions and civil society partners that aim to promote women and girls in science. This day is an opportunity to promote full and equal access to, and participation in, science for women and girls. Gender equality is a global priority for UNESCO, and the support of young girls, their education and their full ability to make their ideas heard are levers for development and peace. 

This year's celebration, which marks the 10th anniversary of this International Day, focuses on Unpacking STEM Careers: Her Voice in Science, with a hybrid event on 11 February 2025.

Meet some of Teagasc’s women in science and find out about the work they do in the videos below.

Dr Shivani Pathania, Senior Research Officer

In this clip from the television series “10 Things to Know About…”, Dr. Shivani Pathania discusses sustainable packaging solutions being developed through the PECTIPACK and Leaf no Waste projects. These innovations use renewable resources to create bioplastics, aiming to reduce both plastic and food waste, offering hope for a more sustainable future.

Dr Karen Daly, Head of Department, Environment, Soils and Land Use

In this video from “10 Things to Know About…”, in an episode on food security, Dr. Karen Daly highlights that 95% of the food we consume comes either directly or indirectly from the soil, making soil health crucial to food security. Karen demonstrates new infrared techniques to monitor soil health.

Dr Saorla Kavanagh, Biodiversity Research Officer, Environment, Soils and Land Use Department

Dr. Saorla Kavanagh discusses her work with ‘mining bees’ in this short clip from an episode of RTE’s “10 Things to Know About…”. One-third of our bee species are threatened with extinction and the majority of Ireland’s bees nest underground. In this episode on conservation, Saorla explains that creating bare soil areas for mining bees is an easy action to help pollinators on the farm.

How to get involved

In support of this initiative, Teagasc is running a social media campaign featuring more of our women working in science across various roles to show the diversity of careers available to women in science at Teagasc. You can learn about their work on our social media platforms at the links below:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• LinkedIn

You too can get involved in supporting this campaign by:

• Liking, sharing and commenting on our posts
• Posting your own photos of you at work on the above-mentioned social media platforms using the following hashtags and @symbols:

#WomenInScience @UN_Women #Teagasc @Teagasc