How can we celebrate female energy in a science sector?
Many ancient knowledge systems derive their timings and flows from natural cycles, like that of the moon. We call our earth, Mother, and her soil and ocean, the fertile womb from which life emerges. Beneath the surface, mycelium weave vast, interconnected and unseen networks, unlike Western society, which often encourages us to live in separate, prescribed boxes.
In many of today’s societal structures, we find ourselves confined to rigid, unnatural frameworks: the 9-to-5 workweek, the push for relentless productivity, and a scientific paradigm that often prizes objectivity over intuition. Somewhere along the way, we’ve forgotten that what makes us thrive is our sameness to nature, not our separation from it.
As a woman working in ocean science, I feel this connection to nature is often overlooked, even though our work centres on protecting, conserving, and restoring one of Earth’s most fundamental forces – the ocean. Centuries of male-dominated science in Western society have skewed our perceptions, framing science as rigid, implacable, and absolute. Yet, when we look at the rhythms of nature, they are constantly evolving and flowing, many things are still unexplainable.
I recently listened to a talk on queering nature by Jasmine Isa Qureshi, which offered a perspective that could help shift this view. To queer nature is to resist the binaries imposed on the natural world (male and female, human and nonhuman) and to defy anthropocentrism, the idea that humans are at the centre of everything. It urges us to see the world as interconnected, where oceans, forests, climate, and all living beings exist in fluid, reciprocal relationships.
In ocean science, this means conservation isn’t about control, but about listening, coexisting, and understanding how everything feeds into each other. Celebrating the women who live, work, and survive by the sea is a powerful way to honour feminine energy in ocean science, especially those challenging the rigid norms of Western thought. SeaVoice, a platform for people-centred ocean storytelling, has spotlighted several women who are reshaping marine conservation by forging their own paths, defying conventional expectations.
Emma Segarino (or Ate Emma: the term “Ate” is used by Filipinos to address any woman of seniority), an Indigenous Tagbanwa community leader, fisher, and mother, once opposed marine protection, until she felt the ocean’s call. Immersing herself in community-led conservation, she founded a Women-Managed Area, blending ancestral wisdom with ecological stewardship. Emma faced resistance but stood firm, embodying a natural, feminine approach to science rooted in care, intuition, and persistence. Her journey reveals that conservation isn’t just about data; it’s about relationships. By embracing Indigenous knowledge and collective strength, Emma proves that protecting the ocean is a deeply human, interconnected act led by those who listen to nature’s rhythms.
Sara Brewer, at 64, became the oldest woman to row an ocean, but her journey was more than a record-breaking feat, it was a testament to living with the sea rather than conquering it. Rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic, she navigated by moonlight, befriended dolphins, and listened to the rhythms of waves, embodying a science not confined to textbooks but felt in the pulse of nature. Facing fear, improvising solutions, and working with the elements, she defied societal norms, proving that knowledge, intuition, and resilience coexist. Hers is a story of breaking boundaries, not just of age, but of perception.
Indonesia’s coral reefs are being restored by an extraordinary group of women: Coral Catch’s Superwomen. These divers, scientists, and changemakers are not only rebuilding marine ecosystems but also breaking down gender barriers in conservation. What began as a dream to train local women in coral restoration has grown into a movement. These Superwomen restore reefs, but their impact goes deeper, redefining strength, resilience, and leadership in ocean science. Their work isn’t just about coral; it’s about connection, empowerment, and rewriting the narrative of marine conservation.
Watch talks with the Superwomen.
On March 8th, International Women’s Day, SeaVoice published their newest volume: WaterWomxn. This collection features eleven unheard stories from the ocean sector, celebrating female energy through themes of personal growth through the ocean, Indigenous and local wisdom, and rewriting women into ocean histories.
So, how do we celebrate female energy in science? By telling stories that challenge how we think, offering new ways to understand and move with our planet – like the tides, the moon, and the women who listen to the ocean’s call.
Read other articles by the Seavoice community:
Pearl Farming in the Philippines: Cultural Heritage in Community-Centered Marine Protected Areas
Conservation-Minded Fishers with Generations of Wisdom
Stories and the Sea: Harnessing Local Ecological Knowledge to Save our Ocean
Reimagining Research: Centring Indigenous Voices for Lasting Social Change
