Yasmina's Story

“I don’t search for an invention as much as I search for a solution.”

Meet Yasmina Chahine on this week’s #WomeninScienceWednesday.

When a cholera outbreak swept through Lebanon in October 2022, 14-year old Yasmina Chahine was ready to put her scientific curiosity and prowess to use. As a student in grade 9 on full scholarship at Khaled Ibn Al Walid College Makassed and active member of RASIT’s GirlsinScience4SDGs International Platform, Yasmina became interested in applying biology and physics to real-world problems. For Yasmina, the cholera outbreak presented an opportunity to use her scientific knowledge to not only help people in her local community, but to also “find a solution that can help all of the countries to face this disease.” Yasmina values her work as a global citizen and tasked herself with designing an invention that could end the cholera outbreak.

Yasmina discovered that the bacterium can be killed by ultraviolet rays, leading to the invention of her water filtration device. Besides the obstacle of making this discovery, Yasmina was also challenged with the socioeconomic aspects of her invention, including affordability and accessibility to the public, and making sure the ultraviolet lamp works despite a lack of electricity. This forced Yasmina to focus on sustainable options, landing on the choice of solar energy to power the lamp. While sustainability was born out of necessity, Yasmina centers the SDGs in her work, as her invention embraces SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), and SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities). These SDGs neatly align with the 8th International Day for Women and Girls in Science Assembly’s topics of discussion.

While Yasmina has not finalized the name of her invention, she is considering “Green Disinfection Device” to highlight its sustainability.

My conversation with Yasmina ended on the topic of the status of women and girls in science across Arab countries. The recent increase of women graduates in science excites Yasmina, as UNESCO figures display up to 57% of STEM graduates are women across Arab countries. Women are slowly but surely starting to receive the accolades they deserve across media coverage. However, these figures do not necessarily translate into the job market, where a dearth of women in leadership positions and science policymakers still exists. In fact, 13 out of the 15 countries with the lowest participation of women in the workforce are Arab countries, with Lebanon landing at a staggering 21%, according to the World Bank.

Despite the lack of recognition women historically have received for their scientific achievements, history is changing, as Yasmina states. “One day humanity will know that women played very important but unfortunately hidden roles in most of past inventions and discoveries of the world,” Yasmina resolves. Women have always been the scientists, inventors, solution-seekers, creators, even if society refused to acknowledge their achievements.

Yasmina reflected upon how global problems, such as the cholera outbreak, affect everyone, not just women or men. Everyone is invited to envision and create the next solution, “we must support each other on an individual level, as family, friends, partners, teachers,” says Yasmina. We must look at each person as a human, not as a “woman in science” or a “man in science.”?

Yasmina cites the support of her family, along with the GirlsinScience4SDGs Platform, that empowered her to create the device. Her participation in GirlsinScience4SDGs surrounded her with a community of young female scientists and made her feel “that I’m not alone anymore.”

“I don’t search for an invention as much as I search for a solution for the problems people suffer from, and this is really my main target in any project I go through,” Yasmina concludes.

The patent process for Yasmina’s device is still in progress. Similarly, achieving gender equity in the sciences is also a work in progress. Yasmina’s water filtration device is one bold step towards breaking both the gender and age gaps. Yasmina’s impressive accomplishments illustrate that science is for everyone.?

Be on the lookout for our next #WomenInScienceWednesday next week, where we will feature another remarkable scientist.

If topics of advancing young women in science and science policy excite you, please register for the 8th International Day for Women and Girls in Science Assembly, held on Friday, February 10th at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, NY.?