The world was not supportive. They look at me as a joke for 13 to 14 years until I could prove feasibility; then I had competitors. Those that laughed at me became my competitors.
Ada YonathRead
I don't walk into the lab in the morning thinking, 'I am a woman, and I will carry out an experiment that will conquer the world.' I am a scientist, not male or female. A scientist.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes that one's gender should not define their professional identity or capabilities.
Ada Yonath highlights the importance of focusing on one's professional role rather than being categorized by gender. She expresses that her identity as a scientist transcends the labels of male or female, advocating for the recognition of merit and expertise in the scientific community without the constraints of gender biases.
Themes
ScientistGenderIdentityMeritEqualityFemaleWoman
In practice
Example use cases
In a conference discussing gender representation in STEM fields.
More from Ada Yonath
All quotes →My neighborhood didn't really encourage women, though it didn't prevent women from progressing, either.
Ada YonathRead
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