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On International Day of Women and Girls in Science, read inspirational stories of displaced women and girls building careers across STEM fields.
On the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we recognise how access to education helps displaced girls build skills, confidence and pathways into science, technology and health.
Here are five stories that show what is possible when displaced women and girls are given the chance to learn and thrive in science.
Yulia is a refugee from Ukraine working at the cutting edge of environmental science. Now living in Bulgaria, she is a scientist at Nasekomo, a science and innovation organisation that is also a partner of Bulgaria’s Refugee Employment Platform, supported by UNHCR.
Before the full-scale war, Yulia built a career as an entomologist, or insect scientist, working across Ukraine and Azerbaijan. She fled to Bulgaria in 2023 and was granted temporary protection in the European Union. With a master’s degree in biology and a doctorate from the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences, she has been able to continue her scientific work.
Through partnerships supported by UNHCR, refugee women like Yulia are able to rebuild their lives, continue working in science, and share their expertise.
“I love science because I want to become a surgical doctor.”
Prudence, a secondary school student in Zambia, is driven by a passion for science and medicine.
She wants to become a doctor so she can heal, help and make a difference in her community.
Prudence studies in one of Zambia’s largest refugee camps, which is home to thousands of displaced people from across the region. With support from UNHCR, the settlement has become a place of learning, skills development and opportunity, providing education and science pathways for young people.
Education is giving refugee girls like Prudence the foundations for careers in science, health and beyond, helping them turn ambition into action.
Ataa’s interest in technology began in the classroom. As a student, she was drawn to computer lessons and went on to complete Microsoft Office training and a cybersecurity course at a community centre in the UNHCR-supported Azraq refugee camp.
Motivated to share her knowledge, Ataa began running awareness sessions for other girls on cyber safety, data privacy and online bullying. Through these conversations, she helps her peers build confidence and move through the digital world more safely.
“The internet offers opportunities, but it also carries risks, especially for girls. Don’t click on suspicious links and think twice before sharing your information,” says Ataa.
Azraq refugee camp is home to more than 35,000 Syrian refugees. With support from UNHCR, young women like Ataa are building skills, sharing knowledge and shaping futures in science and technology.
Fatima worked as a chemical engineer in Sudan before conflict forced her to flee her home. She now lives in eastern Chad, where she teaches maths, science and Arabic at a primary school in the Farchana refugee site.
UNHCR and local partners established the school to support Sudanese refugee children in Chad. Today, more than 1,300 students attend classes six days a week, making the school a vital place for learning and opportunity.
As a mother of two, Fatima brings energy and focus to the classroom. She enjoys seeing her students grasp new ideas and encourages curiosity, especially among girls. While physics and chemistry aren’t in the primary curriculum, she takes time to teach these subjects whenever a student shows interest.
“I can also teach physics and chemistry,” says Fatima. “Although these are advanced subjects for primary schoolers, whenever a student approaches me, I always give them everything I have.”
Through teachers like Fatima, displaced children continue their education and begin to imagine futures shaped by knowledge and confidence.
Thirteen-year-old Isra fled to eastern Chad and now lives in the Farchana refugee camp with her parents and seven siblings. She attends a primary school for girls, where she continues her education after displacement.
“I am happy that I can go to school again,” says Isra.
Science and maths are her favourite subjects. Inspired by her mother, who works as a maternity nurse, Isra hopes to become a doctor one day.
“My mother inspired me to become a doctor,” says Isra. “I love science and maths because they are very important for doctors.”
For girls like Isra, access to education helps rebuild confidence after being forced to flee. It also lays the foundation for future careers in medicine and other science-based fields, showing how learning can create pathways to opportunity.
