We have come far – but not far enough

I thought we had come further than this.

I’m a female scientist, founder, managing partner, board member and angel investor in the life sciences.
I’ve been part of this ecosystem for decades – building, hiring, investing, pushing boundaries.

There were challenges, sure. But I always felt the world was opening up.
That women were gaining ground – not just symbolically, but structurally.

But lately? I’m not so sure anymore.
What I’m seeing – in leadership teams, investment rounds, board meetings, panels – is not just a rollback. It’s accelerating.

🚫 Fewer women
🚫 Less diversity
🚫 Fewer voices that challenge the norm

What used to trigger reflection now often passes without comment.
And silence in the face of imbalance isn’t harmless – it’s complicity.

📚 One book that deeply impressed and challenged me is The Double X Economy by Linda Scott.
It shows – with clarity – how women are systematically excluded from economic participation.

Across geographies. Across industries. Across time.

It made me reflect – and it motivated me.
Because inequality is not an individual issue.
It’s structural. It’s persistent. And it can be changed.

Everyone should read this book – especially women, because it helps us see that the barriers we face are not personal failures!
We as women didn’t build this system of inequality –
but we’re here to change it, because the future depends on it.

📌 👩‍🔬 This post marks the beginning of my series:
Marie Curies Töchter – personal reflections on what it takes to lead, change systems, and build a more gender-equal economy.
Inspired by Marie Curie’s legacy – and today’s realities.