Entre Letras, Pesas y Pasión

Children and teenagers are often asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" However, there isn't always an answer. Their response usually stems from what they know: the professions and roles they witness among their family members or in figures they admire. Professional aspirations are built on the foundation of the role models they have at hand, the stories they know, and the potential paths they can imagine. "You can be anything you want..." we sometimes tell them, without considering how we can open up the many possibilities the world offers them. The book Biographies of Women Scientists from Ecuador arises precisely as an initiative to enrich this spectrum of possibilities. To this end, we present eighteen stories of Ecuadorian women—selected through a public call for submissions—who have chosen the path of science as a means of personal development, to promote knowledge, and to improve the lives of those around them. We want to offer our readers relatable stories about how science can be a path to personal and social growth. Before delving into this book, I'd like to pose a challenge. Can anyone name three Ecuadorian female scientists? If the answer is no, as we fear, the importance of this book becomes clear. The following pages aim to address the lack of female role models in Ecuadorian science. These role models must be present in our classrooms and, indeed, in the life plans of new generations. Furthermore, this publication is part of the National University of Education's (UNAE) community outreach project, Axioms: Education for Equality, a collaborative effort with the Ecuadorian Network of Women Scientists (REMCI) and with the invaluable support of UNAE's Publications and Editorial Development Office. This strategic alliance reflects the shared commitment of these institutions to generating significant changes in education and societal perceptions of women's role in science. This book aims to contribute to the elimination of gender stereotypes that have historically limited women's participation in the production of new knowledge. These stereotypes, deeply rooted in our society, have created invisible barriers that discourage girls from exploring scientific careers, perpetuating the gender gap in these fields that are fundamental to national development. Biographies of Women Scientists from Ecuador is primarily aimed at children and adolescents in Ecuador, but it also constitutes a valuable tool for educators, caregivers, and anyone interested in promoting gender equality in education. This project is not limited to the publication of the book. The initiative continues with work in Ecuadorian classrooms. For this reason, didactic activities are proposed for each biography, designed for upper elementary and high school students, to help teachers create spaces for reflection and motivation that go beyond individual reading. We hope that this book will be the beginning of a broader transformation in how we conceive of the professio.