International Day of Women and Girls In Science: Meet IUCN Species Survival Commission member Dr Sangeeta Mangubhai

In this interview, we will be hearing from Dr. Sangeeta Mangubhai, a Commission member of IUCN with the Species Survival Commission. The Species Survival Commission is a science-based network of thousands of volunteer experts from almost every country in the world, all working together toward achieving the vision of "a just world that values and conserves nature through positive action to both prevent the loss and aid recovery of the diversity of life on earth."

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Briefly tell us about yourself and your role

I am a Principal Consultant and Research Scientist with Talanoa Consulting. I provide a range of services and support to different organisations largely focused around gender, fisheries, nature-based solutions, disasters and climate change. At the moment, there is a high demand for support on the integration of gender, disability and social inclusion into nature-based solutions, including fisheries. I am helping to build capacity in organisations, co-create tools and conduct gender analysis to improve social outcomes within their projects. For example, I am with funding from SPREP, I am co-managing a community of practice with Mereoni Chung (at Talanoa Consulting) to provide trainings and share learnings on how to better integrate gender, disability and social inclusion into nature-based solutions for climate adaptation.

Reflecting on your journey so far, how does it feel to be a woman working in the field of science?

It has been empowering and rewarding, and I have enjoyed working in solidarity with other women scientists to break barriers or glass ceilings that stop women becoming scientists, or doing well as scientists. There are so many strong women scientists out there, who have had to overcome enormous gender barriers to get where they are. I love working in the intersection of biological and social sciences - trying to do research to solve some of our more pressing issues or knowledge gaps in conservation and fisheries. And then working with managers and practitioners to use science or evidence-based to make good management and policy decisions. 

Can you share some highlights and memorable moments since starting your career in this industry.

A highlight of my career was when I received the highly competitive Pew Marine fellowships in 2018 to work on mainstreaming gender and human rights into small-scale (or coastal) fisheries in Melanesia. The fellowship allowed me to lead research to investigate how  fisheries organisations in the Pacific institutionalise gender and integrate it into fisheries. It allowed me develop a partnership with regional organisations such as Pacific Community to develop handbooks and tools to help practitioners develop knowledge and skills to improve gender integration into their fisheries work.

Were there any barriers or challenges faced due to your gender during your academic or professional pursuit? If yes, how did you navigate past them?

Some of the greatest challenges is when I found myself  on committees or working groups that were male dominated. In these spaces, it can be hard to have your voice heard and some men can be quite dismissive. I found myself having to be more aggressive, pushy and stand my ground. I also found good male allies to work with who have stronger commitment to gender equality and inclusion. 

Considering the theme of 'International Day for Women and Girls in Science,' what message would you like to convey to aspiring female scientists?

Do not let anyone stop you from being a scientist. These days there are more and more women in the sciences. So find a good mentor or someone who inspires you, and build a strong network of like-minded people around you. Find the thing you are most passionate about, and set a path for yourself towards that goal. And it is definitely not a sign of weakness to ask for help along the way.