Acting Minister Gloria de la Fuente led commemoration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science

In her remarks, the Minister (A) highlighted Chile's commitment “through the adoption of a Feminist Foreign Policy, integrating the gender approach in all areas of international action, including science, technology and innovation as one of our main lines of action. This agenda helps us to prioritize gender mainstreaming in global debates and agreements and is an important part of our foreign policy work”.

“In this ministry we also care a great deal about Antarctic science, since it is an instrument of our foreign policy and an essential part of Chilean Antarctic diplomacy. We have a deployment of excellence in the various mechanisms of the Antarctic Treaty system, and at the bilateral level, it is an instrument of 'soft power' in our relationship with other countries,” said the Acting Minister.

During the activity, the new Antarctic passport developed by the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH) was displayed, which contains the code of conduct for Antarctic scientific expeditions, emphasizing on working spaces free of harassment and violence, the basic safety guide in Antarctica and the guidelines to know and protect the polar ecosystem.

Later, there was a round table discussion on “Women and Antarctic Science”, with the participation of scientists Daniela Carrión and Daly Noll, together with the director of diversity and gender of the Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences of the University of Chile, María Elena Lienqueo, and the dean of the Faculty of Sciences of the Universidad Austral de Chile, Leyla Cárdenas.