Women have always played a transformative role in society, not only as life-givers and family anchors but as catalysts for social change. Their influence extends from the intimate spaces of daily life to the broader currents of cultural, political, scientific, and artistic evolution. The pivotal role women play in managing the complexities of life often translates into leadership and innovation in wider societal spheres. Figures like Artemisia Gentileschi (1593 – 1653) defied artistic conventions, asserting female creativity in a male-dominated world. Rosa Parks (1913 – 2005), with a simple act of defiance, inspired a civil rights movement that reshaped the course of history. Ella Fitzgerald (1917 - 1996) and Aretha Franklin (1942 - 2018) broke racial and gender barriers through the transformative power of their voices, challenging stereotypes. These women, among countless others, embody resilience, courage, and vision. Their legacy inspires new generations to challenge boundaries and continue the pursuit of equity, justice, and progress. Through their stories, we see how individual acts of strength and creativity can shape the future.
In the realm of science, women have been equally transformative, expanding the frontiers of knowledge (let’s think about scientists as Marie Curie, Rita Levi-Montalcini, Lise Meitner, Margherita Hack, and many others). Their contributions have not only advanced scientific discovery but also broken gender barriers, inspiring future generations to pursue innovation without limits.
With the mantra of placing people at the heart of transformation, DesirMED adopts a bottom-up, community-based and multidisciplinary approach that empower diverse needs, livelihoods and worldviews. In light of that, we report peculiar moments that women of the coordination team (CMCC) have highlighted as transformational episodes or awarenesses in their life and career as scientists.
On one side such transformation is experienced through motherhood and through the value of working alongside competent and supportive colleagues.
“Becoming a mother was the moment that truly transformed me, shifting my entire perspective on life and the world around me. It was as if I had been given a new lens, magnifying everyday moments. I’ve always been a very curious person, but my curiosity, once driven by personal drivers and scientific goals, transformed toward a richer, more profound dimension. Suddenly, every question I asked and every answer I sought carried a deeper purpose: to create and communicate a world of pure imagination and inspiration nurtured by the boundless imagination that my daughter brings to even the most ordinary things. Motherhood didn't just transform me: it expanded me. Now, it is no longer just about exploring the world, but about seeing it anew through the eyes of a child, surprising me every day, while I embrace and communicate its wonders with a transformed mindset.” – Elisa
“It is such a pleasure to work with women as, in most cases, collaboration and coordination is so easy, when competence of my female colleagues is paired with a joy of building something together.” - Margaretha
For some, transformation emerged from the efforts to be in a male-dominated fields.
“Pursuing a career in computer science as a woman has often felt like swimming against the current. Throughout my studies, I felt overlooked in discussions and problem-solving sessions, despite having the same challenges as my male peers. Whenever I mentioned my field of study, I was met with surprise. Why is it unexpected for a woman to pursue computer science when the challenges are the same for everyone?
My perspective changed when I joined the CMCC team. In this diverse and collaborative environment, free from biases, I gained the confidence to express my ideas openly. More importantly, I began to see my expertise in a new light, not just as technical skills but as a valuable tool in tackling climate change. Contributing to such a global challenge gave my work deeper meaning and reinforced my belief in interdisciplinary collaboration. This experience transformed how I see myself, not as someone who must prove her worth, but as a scientist whose contributions matter”. – Angelica
On the other side, professional achievements, transformative experiences and recognition played a critical role in strengthening self-confidence and career progression.
“In 2011, shortly after finishing my PhD, I was awarded by the Centre for International Conflict Resolution at Columbia University for the project “Land management and land use conflict resolution in peri-urban areas: A geo-agronomic perspective.” It was the first project that was totally “mine,”: I wrote it totally and independently and I was solely responsible for carrying out all the research activities that were focused in the peri-urban area of Meknes, Morocco, where I spent several months doing field research. At the end of the project, I presented the results at Columbia University in NY during a panel discussion with some major experts in the field. Very often we women in research suffer from impostor syndrome, or a kind of inferiority complex toward our male colleagues, or more generally a lack of self-confidence. That for me was the moment when I thought, maybe for the first time, that if I had gotten there with my own strength alone, it meant that my work had value, that what I was doing could contribute to research even at the international level, and that therefore - maybe - I deserved to be there. That moment was crucial for my career, because it then allowed me to be able to get a position as a researcher at the French INRAE, and to get - after almost 15 years, to where I am now”. – Marta
“Moving to Copenhagen to study for the master’s degree has been a decisive turnover for my personal growth and field study. During those years, I gradually discovered how the research world effectively works, as the subjects were studied through assignments similar to scientific papers, completely changing the way I approached learning compared to my experience at the University in Italy. One moment was especially instructive and inspirational for me: a course that involved field data collection in a developing country in Africa, followed by the collaborative writing of a research paper with my group. That experience was entirely new to me. It was a transformative and pivotal moment that led me to realize my desire to continue pursuing a career in research. Up to that moment, I frequently refer to scientific literature in a more scholastic way to validate and reinforce a concept or thesis, but with this experience I was applying the scientific method to a real case study with direct implications for a community. Since that experience, I have always been involved in projects that engage communities, including my PhD, which I am about to complete. I am certain that this is the path I want to pursue in the future”. – Elena
