It takes a village: preparing women in science for difficult times

To mark the 10th anniversary of International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11th February 2025, FEBS Letters opened a writing contest on the topic of female role models in science. We invited entrants not only to reflect on the careers of prominent academics, but also to share stories about the supervisors, colleagues, and other women who have inspired their own research journeys. Here, we present one of two runners-up, an essay by physicist Cara Giovanetti (UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab), which maps out the challenges faced by women in physical science in an antagonistic political climate through conversations with mentors and colleagues.