February 11 marks the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and what better way to celebrate it than by highlighting the participation, now for the fourth consecutive year, of the Catalysis Research Group, affiliated with the Chemistry Program of the Faculty of Natural, Exact and Education Sciences at the University of Cauca, in this celebration promoted by IUPAC (the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry). This initiative seeks to recognize the fundamental role that women play in the sciences and to establish an active network of people committed to overcoming the barriers that hinder gender equality in these fields of knowledge.

The celebration consisted of a breakfast held with the group’s students and professors, who were also joined by an alumna. Over the past six years, IUPAC has organized nearly 2,000 international breakfasts in 100 countries, and for this edition, titled “Accelerating Equity in Science”, only three Colombian universities participated. The University of Cauca was among them, reaffirming its commitment to promoting gender equality and valuing the contributions of women in scientific research. The members of the Catalysis Research Group, from left to right in the photograph, are: Daniela Sánchez, Paula Escobar, Karen Rosero, Alfonso Ramírez, Deicy Sierra, Karol Melissa, Ingrid Carolina, Tatiana Guerrero, Cristian Miranda, Johnny Gutiérrez, and Yudi Carolina Imbachi.

Today, we celebrate women scientists and students, emphasizing that they are part of our Unicaucano pride. They are the ones who spend long days in the field and countless hours in laboratories and study rooms, generating knowledge and solutions that help improve our quality of life. Likewise, we honor the girls who dream of one day occupying a rightful and important place in these fields of knowledge, reminding them that with their presence in the sciences, the world will always be a better place.