We belong in Science, and our inclusion fosters and drives innovation – Dr Charlene Kunaka-Dambire (University of Nottingham)
Every year on February 11th, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science is celebrated. Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, the day promotes full and equal access to STEM fields for women. This day offers a moment for us to reflect not only on the progress made, but on the journeys still unfolding. This year, join Dr Charlene Kunaka-Dambire (PhD) as she reflects on her journey as a Woman in Science.
My journey in Science began far from research laboratories and international conferences.
As a child, I was known for my curiosity and inquisitiveness. I grew up in Zimbabwe, in a town called Chitungwiza which is historically plagued with limited infrastructure and a dense population. As a result, the opportunities were limited at best, and dreams of pursuing a career in science seemed out of reach for most girls in my community. But despite the odds, my curiosity refused to be silenced. That curiosity coexisted with persistent barriers faced by girls worldwide. Economic difficulty, limited access to well-resourced schools, gendered expectations, and early marriage continue to restrict girls’ educational pathways. Science subjects are often seen as unattainable for girls, especially in rural and high-density urban communities where mentorship, and exposure to science careers are scarce.
For many girls like me across the world, life often presents a narrow set of choices. If it is not education, it is marriage. That single fork in the road can determine how life unfolds, how far the dreams of many women and girls are allowed to stretch, and whether curiosity and potential are nurtured or quietly extinguished.
My formal journey into science began at Rusununguko High School in Zimbabwe. I did not yet envision a scientific career, but I was captivated by the excitement of experiments, the awe of seeing cells through a microscope, and the discovery of an invisible world waiting to be understood. In those curiosity-driven moments, I knew science was my path, even if I could not yet see where it would lead. Rusununguko was a moderately resourced school, and it would rarely feature in conversations about elite science education, yet it was rich in values that shaped me, and in its classrooms, I learned that opportunity could be a pathway beyond circumstance. Like many girls, I learned perseverance in an environment with few visible women scientists, but many expectations placed on the girl child.
For girls in underfunded schools worldwide, Rusununguko represents countless ordinary institutions where extraordinary potential quietly exists. Despite growing access to education and increased advocacy for girls in STEM, many girls still need to be explicitly encouraged that their curiosity matters and that science is not out of reach. While challenges remain, there is undeniable progress, more girls are staying in school, more women are leading STEM laboratories and research groups, and more women scientists are visible on global stages.
My career path has been non-linear, it reflects curiosity and restlessness to find where I belong in Science. From undergraduate training in Biochemistry and Microbiology at the University of Fort Hare, to postgraduate studies in Evolutionary Genomics at Stellenbosch University, and later a PhD in Plant Sciences at the University of Aberystwyth completed part-time while working full-time elsewhere in the UK, each stage stretched me in new ways. Today, I am a Research Fellow at the University of Nottingham, working on plant oxygen-sensing mechanisms. This research has contributed to high-impact publications in journals such as Nature and Nature Communications, the development of widely used genetic tools, and insights relevant to crop resilience and food security. My journey mirrors an increasing visibility of black women scientists and is proof that when girls are encouraged to dream beyond their immediate surroundings, the possibilities are far greater than they may imagine.
There have been moments of deep doubt in my journey, when I stood in front of a room and felt the weight of what I represent, my background, my gender, my race, pressing heavily on my shoulders. In those moments, the imposter syndrome was loud, fuelled by subtle signals that tell women and girls that they must work harder to be seen as credible, that their success is an exception rather than an expectation, and that they must constantly prove they belong. For girls, these messages can arrive even earlier, quietly steering them away from Science, before their curiosity and potential has had a chance to fully bloom. That is why role models matter, seeing someone who reflects your own background and has carved a path is powerful. Because somewhere, perhaps in Chitungwiza or another town just like it, there is a young girl who is curious, bright, and unsure whether her dreams are realistic.
Mentorship has been one of the most transformative forces in my journey.
Mentors challenged me to aim higher, affirmed that I belonged in spaces where I sometimes felt like an outsider, and helped counter long-standing barriers to opportunity. In communities like the UK Black in Plant sciences, I was shown that Science is not sustained by brilliance alone; it is sustained by communities that choose to invest in people. I was fortunate to learn from and be inspired by women who embodied excellence, resilience, and generosity, including Professors Irene Hulede, Yoselin Benitez-Alfonso, and Beatrice Olutoyin Opeolu. Their guidance and belief in my potential shaped my confidence and ambitions at critical moments.
Today, beyond my research, mentorship is central to my purpose. I supervise and mentor students, contribute to gender equality initiatives such as Athena SWAN, engage in community outreach, and co-found mentorship platforms aimed at widening access to science careers. Recognition of my contributions to science such as the UK Black in Plant Sciences Research Excellence Award represents not only a personal milestone, but what becomes possible when women and girls are supported.
Perhaps unexpectedly, there are some men who played a transformative role in shaping my scientific career including Professors Anthony Okoh, Savel Daniels and Michael Holdsworth. Their mentorship and advocacy mattered not because they were exceptional heroes, but because they chose to challenge assumptions about who belongs in Science. By mentoring, advocating, and opening doors for a young woman from Zimbabwe, they helped shift perceptions, not only for me, but for the spaces I entered. When men in Science actively support girls and women, they help normalise inclusion, reshape institutional cultures, and reinforce the idea that talent is not gendered. That kind of allyship quietly but powerfully expands what girls believe is possible.
That cross-gender investment and partnership matters because for women and girls in Science, especially those from under-resourced backgrounds, the barriers are layered, limited access to quality Science education, lack of financial support, cultural expectations that deprioritise girls’ schooling, and the persistent underrepresentation of women in senior scientific roles. Often, the challenge is not a lack of ability, but a lack of visibility, of seeing someone who looks like you, comes from where you come from, and has navigated a path you are told may not be meant for you.
My story is not exceptional because of individual achievements alone. It is a testament to what happens when opportunities are opened and curiosity is nurtured. Inclusion in science is not an act of charity; it is a catalyst for innovation. When we invest in women and girls, we expand not only individual lives, but the boundaries of knowledge itself.
And sometimes, that journey begins with a curious little girl, peering into a microscope for the very first time.