Key Points:
- Women remain significantly underrepresented in STEM fields, particularly in analytical chemistry. Structural challenges—such as lack of mentorship, feelings of isolation, and limited diversity in academic settings—continue to impede retention and advancement, despite growing interest among young women.
- Initiatives like Sisters in Science are helping to close the gap through mentorship, community-building, and advocacy. Early exposure to diverse professional environments and strong industry-academia partnerships are critical to creating inclusive pathways for women in science.
- Personal encouragement and the courage to pivot play a vital role in women’s scientific careers. The co-founders of Sisters in Science emphasize that skills—not background—define professional success, and that fostering confidence can unlock new opportunities and long-term fulfillment in STEM.
Women in STEM continue to face systemic barriers—including underrepresentation, lack of mentorship, and a potential sense of isolation—that can derail even the most promising careers.
Globally, women make up only around 30% of researchers (1), with the challenges even more pronounced in “hard sciences” such as analytical chemistry. In response, grassroots movements like Sisters in Science have emerged to create space for connection, empowerment, and change. Founded by three Dutch scientists—Noor Abdulhussain, Lotte Schreuders, and Mimi den Uijl—the initiative blends science communication, mentorship, and activism to foster inclusion in scientific communities. LCGC International sat down with the co-founders to explore the unique hurdles women face in analytical chemistry today, and how creating networks of support may be key to transforming the future of the field.
A Career in Chromatography: Is the Interest Growing Among Women?
When asked whether chromatography is attracting more young women, the founders of Sisters in Science said the answer is nuanced. There is a visible increase in interest in the natural sciences, perhaps because study programs are becoming more interdisciplinary, which may spark broader curiosity. In the Netherlands, students only begin to explore chromatography in depth during their master’s programs.
“If you want a career in chromatography, that usually doesn’t factor until you’re working towards your PhD,” den Uijl explained.
Despite this late introduction, the field remains appealing.
“They see how it fits into real-world problems, and that gives them a powerful platform for collaboration and innovation,” den Uijl said.
Abdulhussain offers a practical observation from her workplace, the National Metrology Institute of the Netherlands, VSL: “Among the students doing internships with us that involve chromatography, the gender split is nearly 50:50. As Mimi pointed out, many are more interested in the field where chromatography is used than in the technique itself.”
Bridging the Gap Between Academia and Industry to Support Women
Supporting women in science is about more than recruitment; it’s also about retention and visibility. The importance of industry-academia collaboration cannot be overemphasized. With academia increasingly seeking industry partners for collaborative projects, this creates a strong foundation for collaboration. There are also initiatives in the Netherlands that allow girls to spend a day in industry to experience STEM careers firsthand. Den Uijl noted that exposure to diverse professional environments early on is key.
“Diversity is almost non-existent in academia. If you’re surrounded by people who all look and think the same, and you don’t feel like you belong, it’s easy to drop out,” she said.
Looking at academia broadly, there is evidence that diversity is beneficial to academic excellence. It exposes students and teachers to a broader range of viewpoints and perspectives, helping to foster creativity and critical thinking. In a study conducted at the University of Sheffield, a team concluded that individuals from underrepresented groups face greater challenges in obtaining research funding and advancing to senior academic roles (2). Achieving systemic change calls for action at the organizational level, including fostering a diverse workforce, demonstrating strong leadership, and establishing robust support networks. A study on the impact of gender on peer review outcomes found that papers authored by women faced slightly lower success rates and slightly lower citation impact, indicating a modest gender disparity in academic publishing (3).
“If we can connect students to the broader diversity found in industry, they’re more likely to find their path,” den Uijl noted.
Mentorship and the Courage to Try Something New
For each of the Sisters and Science co-founders, mentorship and self-belief played pivotal roles in their development.
Den Uijl shared that the most valuable advice she received was simple encouragement: “You can do it.” She recalled feeling unsure during her PhD—not because she doubted her abilities, but because she worried about losing interest in a long-term project. A mentor, Peter Schoenmakers, told her to just go for it, reminding her that if you don’t try, you’ll never know what’s possible.
Schreuders shared a similar story of early encouragement. After her first presentation during her bachelor’s, someone told her she was a natural speaker, which gave her lasting confidence. Her advice is to give things a try without fearing failure. If something doesn’t suit you, move on—there’s plenty of time to explore different paths.
Their career shifts reflect that mindset. Den Uijl and Schreuders both pivoted to roles that better matched their evolving skill sets. “It’s not your background that defines you,” den Uijl said, “but your skills. People with master’s or PhDs can often feel trapped by their field. But it would be a shame to do something for 30 years just because you studied it for 10.”
Abdulhussain added her own piece of advice: speak up and make your presence known, because your voice only matters if people hear it.
References
(1) UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Women in Science. https://uis.unesco.org/en/topic/women-science (accessed 2025-06-27).
(2) Prince, L. R.; Francis, S. E. Barriers to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Research and Academia Stubbornly Persist. So, What are we Doing About it? Dis. Model. Mech. 2023, 16, dmm050048. DOI: 10.1242/dmm.050048
(3) Fox, C. W.; Paine, C. E. T. Gender Differences in Peer Review Outcomes and Manuscript Impact at Six Journals of Ecology and Evolution. Ecol. Evol. 2019, 9, 3599–3619. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4993
