In honor of International Women’s Day, we interviewed Ezgi, a passionate researcher from the DECODE project. She shares her academic journey, the challenges she has faced, and her thoughts on promoting gender equality in STEM. Read the full interview to learn more about her inspiring story and valuable insights.
“Can you share a bit about your academic journey and how you got involved in the DECODE project?
During my studies at RWTH, I worked in the HyInnoChem project, which is part of the Zukunftscluster Wasserstoff / Clusters4Future. I tested novel catalysts for H₂O₂ synthesis in the laboratory and used physics-informed neural networks to estimate unknown kinetic parameters.
My PhD combines the laboratory expertise and computational tools of two institutes at FZJ, making it the perfect follow-up. It is closely related to DECODE, as it deals with data management and pipelines for ML to optimise PEM water electrolysis. I’m excited to contribute to this project as it advances sustainability – both in energy storage and data management.
As a woman in science, what challenges have you faced, and how have you overcome them?
Not only am I a woman in science, but I am also of Turkish origin, so growing up in Germany I had to deal with both sexist and racist stereotypes. Studies on gender or racial discrimination in recruitment, the pay gap, domestic work and the workplace clearly show the impact of these biases. Another important aspect that holds marginalised communities back is the internalisation of white cis-male superiority. This internalisation often leads migrant families to pressure their children to excel in all aspects of life in order to feel valued in our society.
My study and work environment has so far been very respectful and collaborative rather than competitive and discriminatory, although there have been isolated instances, such as a male professor asking me in a one-to-one if I could have sex before marriage, a male colleague on the same level trying to pass on his less demanding tasks to me, or a male fellow student touching me inappropriately when I was climbing a ladder to set up my experiments.
Learning about intersectional struggles has helped me understand how history has fundamentally shaped power dynamics and social interactions in the present. For me, the biggest challenge remains freeing my mind from internalised prejudices and maintaining confidence in myself. I have learnt that I must constantly challenge the status quo and exercise self-efficacy whenever I witness inequality, whether it is directed at me or others.
Do you think initiatives like the DECODE project can help promote gender equality in STEM fields, and how?
I have experienced everyone within the DECODE project to be very encouraging and respectful, and I haven’t seen any gender discrimination per se.
However, we have a gender balance that is typical of the scientific world: all the scientific team leaders are men, and the team is predominantly male. Acknowledging that gender dynamics are reflected in this project, in terms of positions and gender balance, is the first step. As men generally benefit from these gender-patriarchal structures in their careers, I believe it is their responsibility to actively think about how to promote gender equality and then take action to change the status quo – at work and at home.
I believe that initiatives like DECODE can help promote gender equality in STEM – if men step up and join the discussion.
“I want to stress that we need everyone’s support to achieve gender equality. On this International Women’s Day, I would like to hear from men what steps they plan to take to promote gender equality.”
What advice would you give to young women aspiring to enter the world of science and research?
Focus on yourself in all aspects of your life. How we spend our energy in our personal lives is reflected in our academic careers. Let men do their fair share of emotional, caring and domestic work. If you witness unfair treatment or harassment, speak up and demand consequences.
In our society, men are used to being valued more in terms of IQ, position and pay. So you need to value yourself. Believe in your competence and experience. If you experience imposter syndrome, remember that your contribution to the world of science and research is valuable – just like any other expert’s.
