Celebrating the women who advance science  

On February 11, International Day of Women and Girls in Science is celebrated around the world. In addition to recalling the women’s contributions, often disregarded, in science and technology, this day also serves as an encouragement to girls to engage in science and build careers in these fields.  

As a woman scientist and mother, I dream of my children choosing a career based on their skills and passions, without being limited by their gender.  

This day is also an opportunity for me to remember the path full of pitfalls I had to follow to continue my studies in the field of science. When I was younger, my eyes would light up when I heard about biology, genetics, mathematics or sociology. I admired the pioneers in Burkina Faso such as Yvonne Libona Bonzi Coulibaly, but also trailblazers such as Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna (Nobel Prize 2020). If gene drive is now amongst the tools which could one day help eliminate malaria, it is thanks to their work on CRISPR-Cas9, which today enable us to use genetically modified mosquitoes in our strategy to fight the disease.  

Today, I am fully committed to research at Target Malaria, a research project with the vision of a world free of malaria. First as a mother, because a child dies of malaria every minute, and then as a woman in science dedicated to advancing research and progress in public health. I have the privilege of working alongside talented scientists such as Dr. Léa Paré Toé in Burkina Faso and Krystal Birungi in Uganda.  

I would like to pay a well-deserved tribute to all women scientists and tell them that we must break down the barriers of gender and social and economic inequalities and increase recognition of the contribution of women to the fight against malaria.  

Let’s inspire more girls and women in science—keeping the dream of a malaria-free world alive.  This is my dream as a woman, as a scientist and as a researcher.