Bridging the Gap: Advancing Women’s Careers in Academia and Beyond

On June 12, the Academia Europaea Budapest and Wrocław Hubs came together to host a thought-provoking panel on one of academia’s most persistent challenges: gender equality in science.

Titled “Bridging the Gap: Advancing Women’s Careers in Academia and Beyond”, the event united researchers, institutional leaders, and advocates to dissect the barriers that still hold women back—and to showcase the programmes and policies making a difference.

Opening the Conversation – Dr. Katalin Solymosi

Dr. Katalin Solymosi (AE Budapest Hub, FYAE, Eötvös Loránd University), Vice Academic Director of the Budapest Hub, opened the session with a stark reality check based on the latest She Figures 2024 data.

While some EU-13 countries, like Poland, are edging closer to gender parity in STEM, others—Hungary among them—remain near the bottom of the table. Austria sits somewhere in the middle, highlighting the uneven progress even within the EU.

Dr. Solymosi spotlighted the “scissors effect”: women’s representation is strong at the bachelor, master’s, and PhD levels, yet drops sharply as careers advance. The “sticky floor” keeps many women in low-paid, less visible roles, and the glass ceiling ensures that only about 20% make it to professorships. Progress exists—but it is painstakingly slow.

Keynotes

Navigating the “Ambiguous” Space

Dr. Dorota Kołodziejczyk (MAE, University of Wrocław) spoke with candour about the paradox of being a woman in academia: institutions often appear aware of gender issues, yet subtle and structural biases persist.

In Poland, legal safeguards—such as maternity leave, up to six years of extended unpaid childcare leave for parents of children with disabilities, and sick leave—exist on paper. But in practice, caregiving responsibilities, particularly for children with severe disabilities, can make an academic career nearly impossible without robust external support.

Her call to action was clear:

• Flexibility in funding and scholarship timelines to accommodate caregiving realities.
  
  
• Institutional recognition of the unique challenges faced by academics caring for disabled dependents.
  
  
• Solidarity in teaching and service duties to ease the disproportionate load on women.
  
  

Inspiring the Next Generation

Dr. Erika Bálint, representing as freshly elected President the Association of Hungarian Women in Science (NaTE), shared the story of an organisation changing the STEM landscape for girls and young women since 2008.

NaTE’s mission is to empower girls aged 12–18, building their confidence in STEM subjects and providing real-life role models. Over the years, they have launched flagship initiatives such as:

• Girls’ Day – immersive open days in 40+ cities, connecting girls with STEM workplaces.
  
  
• Shadowing Days – hands-on, one-on-one experiences with researchers.
  
  
• Career Orientation Camps – interactive STEM workshops and skill-building sessions.
  
  
• “Smarties” – a four-semester mentoring programme in mathematics and IT.
  
  
• STEM Role Model Awards – celebrating researchers, technicians, and teachers who inspire.
  
  

Nearly 20,000 girls, over 800 teachers, and countless partner organisations have been touched by NaTE’s work—proof that change is possible with sustained effort.

The Panel: Institutional and Personal Perspectives

The second part of the event was dedicated to a discussion moderated by Dr. K. Solymosi. Besides the two keynote speakers, the discussion hosted also: Prof. Elżbieta Frąckowiak (MAE, Poznan University of Technology),  Prof. Verena Winiwarter (MAE, Austrian Academy of Sciences) and Dr. László Kollár (MAE, Hungarian Academy of Sciences) – who recounted how a gender-imbalanced Academy election spurred reforms and highlighted the importance of confidence-building for women researchers.

From Words to Action: What It Will Really Take to Close the Gap

The panel’s closing reflections turned into something more than a list of recommendations—they became a collective roadmap, stitched together from personal stories and professional insight.

1. Start Early, Stay Consistent.

Dr. Erika Bálint stressed that self-confidence in STEM is not built overnight—it’s cultivated from childhood. NaTE’s almost two decades of work with girls aged 12–18 shows that early interventions must be followed by steady support through high school, university, and early career stages. As she put it: “If we let that confidence fade at any point, the system’s scissors effect will cut away the progress we’ve made.”

2. Flexibility is Key.

Dr. Dorota Kołodziejczyk’s voice carried the weight of lived experience when she spoke about balancing an academic career with caring for a disabled child. For her, flexibility in research grants, teaching schedules, and academic milestones is not a “perk”—it’s the only way to keep talented women from leaving the field entirely.

3. Measure What Matters.

Dr. László Kollár pointed out that even well-meaning institutions can miss glaring imbalances unless they track representation rigorously. His story of a gender-skewed Academy election, which led to systemic reforms, proved that change starts with seeing the problem clearly—and being willing to act on the data.

4. Visibility Creates Possibility.

Prof. Elżbieta Frąckowiak’s own career in electrochemistry is proof that seeing women succeed can shift the ambitions of those coming up behind them. She argued for institutional recognition of women’s achievements, not as “special exceptions” but as normal, visible, and celebrated leaders in science.

5. Care is Everyone’s Job.

Prof. Verena Winiwarter reminded the room that equality will remain elusive as long as caregiving—whether for children or ageing parents—is seen as “women’s work.” Normalising men’s equal participation, she said, is “as essential to closing the gender gap as any policy or programme.”

What emerged from these voices was a shared understanding: laws may open the door, but culture decides who walks through it. Bridging the gender gap in academia is not about a single breakthrough—it’s about persistent, coordinated action, backed by institutions willing to measure their progress and challenge their own traditions. And perhaps the most resonant message of the day? Talent is everywhere. Opportunity is not. Changing that is the work ahead.

If you would like to follow the complete discussion, you can find it here:

Bridging the Gap: Advancing Women’s Careers –  Youtube Video