Women must be equal partners in science: Gender-balance lessons from biology

Access to scientific careers for women has never been easy, but as biases and barriers slowly begin to diminish, women are becoming more and more involved in science, especially Biological Sciences. Some of the reasons why women do not have the same opportunities to achieve career pathways equal to those of men are discussed. We conclude that there is an ongoing need to design and apply new policies to effect a gender balance throughout the career path. This is seen not simply as an equitable outcome - it is a moral imperative.