“Before becoming a Climate Scientist, I never envisioned that my work would make such an impact, or even save lives,” says Taumeasina Foma’i.

In her role as a Senior Scientific Climate Officer, for the Samoa Meteorological Services under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ms. Foma’i works with the Climate Services team to provide seasonal outlooks for rainfall, temperature, and ocean, to determine whether Samoa will experience wetter or drier conditions, also predicting the likelihood of coral bleaching events, among other severe hazards such as tropical cyclones.

Ms. Foma’i recommends that women and girls consider a career in science, that also includes a subject they are passionate about so that they can truly enjoy their work while serving their communities.

According to statistics released by the United Nations, despite a shortage of skills in most of the technological fields driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution, women still account for only 28 per cent of engineering graduates and 40 per cent of graduates in computer science and informatics.

A significant gender gap has persisted throughout the years at all levels of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines all over the world.

The International Day for Women and Girls in Science is commemorated globally on February 11 every year, and in the Pacific region, the Secretariat for the Pacific Regional Environment Programme supports access to training and higher education for women in science through support from the European Union Funded Intra-ACP Climate Services and Related Applications Programme.   

“The work of women and girl scientists is invaluable because it adds a critical dimension to understanding the potential impacts of climatic changes in the Pacific region in particular on women and girls because women are often the most vulnerable,” Filomena Nelson, SPREP Climate Change Adaptation Adviser.

“Through SPREP’s work we not only encourage women and girls in the Pacific region, but we also equip them with skills and opportunities to embark on careers that are science-driven and have practical impacts on the communities they support.”

As the impacts of climate change worsen, conditions for women around the world will worsen and they will suffer from the direct and indirect effects of climate change. They have less access to resources, education, and decision-making power than men, and are often the most dependent on natural resources for their livelihood.