Women in Wildlife Research

Women in Wildlife Research explores the gender gap in environmental science, ecology, and wildlife research. While women are well-represented at student and PhD levels, their presence declines sharply in senior leadership, principal investigator roles, and journal editorial positions, a pattern known as the “leaky pipeline.” This podcast highlights how structural barriers, career interruptions, and historical male dominance, rather than peer review bias, limit women’s visibility. Despite performing essential fieldwork and leading citizen science initiatives, women often remain “ghosts” in the scientific narrative. Focusing on trends across Europe, we examine how regions differ in gender representation and explore strategies to move from participation toward recognition, visibility, and leadership in wildlife research.