TRIBUTE to Women

In 1998, L’Oreal, a world classy high and beauty product Company and the U.N.E.S.C.O, one of leading agencies of the United Nations, created an award honoring women who greatly contributed to the world’s health and sciences.

In 2025 the awardees were Prof. Priscilla Baker, honored for her contribution to the highly sensitive electrochemical micro sensors, which are the most modern tools detecting contaminants in the environment. The second is Prof. Barbara Finlayson Pitts, for her education research on photo chemical smog formation and improving air quality. Third, is Prof. Maria Teresa Dova, for her key contributions to high energy physics including the discovery and characterization of the Higgs Boson, advancing our understanding of the universe. Lastly, Prof. Claudia Felser, for her pioneering work, resulting in the creation of new magnetic materials for future green energy technologies (Learn more about the programs and awards at FORWOMENINSCIENCE.COM)

Their model was Prof. Marie Curie. Prof Marie, with her husband Pierre and Prof. Becquerel, all physicists, won the 1903 Nobel Prize for their discovery of radium and polonium. In 1911, Prof. Marie alone won a second Nobel Prize. Prof Marie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first and only woman to win 2 Nobel Prizes in 2 different fields and one of the very few to be a double Nobel Prize winner.

The 4 honorees were brilliant, hardworking and humble. They had something special. Being women did not stop them from climbing to higher fields of knowledge, which the world thinks only men can understand.

Sadly, the world’s macho culture and tradition looks down and belittles/humiliates the capabilities of women. We forget that man takes care mainly of himself, his job and his family in that order. A woman has a dual purpose in life. Her husband, family and her job. For a man, a woman is just a woman. For a woman, a man is her life.