Selina Rawal, GSK: Change must come from within and you have a lot more power than you think you do

With less than 30% of world researchers being women, we were honoured to have Senior Scientist, and now Investigator, Selina Rawal join us to discuss the disparity in genders in her field. She delves into her personal experiences as a woman of colour, and shines a light on how to break stigmas and generate better traction of women in science from an early age. A UNESCO study shows that among Asian countries, women are actively deterred from a career in STEM because it is not considered to be an appropriate choice of career for them, and will later hinder their domestic responsibilities. Selina’s passionate discussion with Unlimit not only combats the negative perception of careers for women, but ways in which girls and women of all ages can seek more opportunities and methods of learnings to give themselves the strongest step into the industry. 

Could you tell our viewers about your professional journey thus far?

My name is Selina Rawal, and I currently work as a biochemist at GlaxoSmithKline, also known as GSK. So, in science, I’ve got about 13 years of experience now. Even though I’ve been in the biopharmaceutical industry for such a long time, my manager will still ask me in my 1-2-1s ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’. And I think that is really symbolic of the fact that there is still so much more growth awaiting me. It never really stops. I took science subjects at school and then my A-Levels, and I seemed to fall into chemistry because of my love for it. I suppose I just followed my heart, and I completed a biochemistry degree at King’s College London, and went on to do my Masters.

With the recession at the time, jobs weren’t as easy to come by, and I started studying accountancy to give myself more options, and I did that for two years. I suppose I felt that I should give science one more shot because I loved it so much, and it fell into place because I ended up getting a job at Lonza Biologics, where I had a wonderful time working for eight years. During those years I got a lot of my groundwork in, where I studied different areas, focused on analytical and discipline areas before moving on to my current venture with GSK.

When did you first become interested in science and what encouraged you to pursue it as a career?

I would have to say that I don’t think I was actively encouraged to do a career in science. If anything I was told to focus on a career that is practical, and would suit my duties to get married and have children in the future. These societal and family pressures came about for me at a relatively young age in my formative years; around A-Level age. That’s such a transitory age from being a child to starting to own your own decisions which can shape your future, and I think we aren’t really taught that these decisions we make can really have an impact.

At that age, even if we could speak up for ourselves, how many of us really did? I didn’t. I wasn’t ready to ask questions or think about the consequences of where one decision will take me compared to another. And that is exactly why I just went with what I enjoyed. I think I’ve always been a bit of a rebel in that sense, so if somebody tries to tell me what to do I will more than likely do the exact opposite or present a kind of resistance. But the great thing is that because it’s a subject I love, I remained determined and driven. And I feel like you perform your best when you do something that you are vested in and enjoy. So, the take home message that I think is important is finding what you enjoy and sometimes not overthinking it, but if you don’t know what you enjoy, then at least learn what you don’t want to pursue and it at least cuts down your options that way.

In your experience, would you say the environment in the field of science has changed to encourage more diversity? How could it improve?

When I was studying chemistry and all the chemistry focus modules, I did see that there were a lot fewer women, still fewer girls in those classes versus males. But I would say that in recent years, more and more women have been coming into the workplace. Another positive thing that I’ve seen in recent years, it’s increased is women holding managerial positions. But there continues to be that uphill battle for women. I am really fortunate that at GSK, there is a lot that happens for inclusion and diversity, so the space is constantly evolving to try and actively make positive changes for genders and all forms of equality. For example, they have an entire symposium for women in science, which empowers them to speak up, upskill and beyond.

These kinds of opportunities are my observations that would be beneficial to increase the numbers of women in the field of science in other organisations. And I also feel like it should be tackled at a school level, with educational institutions supporting girls to work on their scientific gifts. Even things like apprenticeships and programs that give wider access to the market. These act as opportunities but also awareness for the subjects, so that girls can realise the diversity of career opportunities and pathways in STEM subjects. So you should push, push. People should be encouraged. But I think it’s an education based – technical skills, awareness and even success stories.

As a senior team member, what steps do you take to create an equal playing field for all that others could use for inspiration?

 At GSK, there’s a few things that we actually have in place. So, for example, for a student that’s new in the workplace, we have a buddy system where they have a person that they can lean on. Any immediate questions and support they need can be found from that individual. Of course, everyone also has their supervisor and then they’re also encouraged to have many meetings with different people within the different groups within the department and invite them to their team.

Essentially there’s a huge support system when it comes to encouraging productivity, not only just equality. But having these support structures means that people all have the same opportunities and conversations. I think the interpersonal aspects of trying to get them to be comfortable and communicate and exhibit their own personality.

An important thing is maximising engagement – whether its building connections early on, lunches, team meetings, shadowing, learning opportunities – the list goes on. Through these opportunities people can be recognised for themselves and build on their confidence. People feel more comfortable when the culture and environment they work in is diverse, open and welcoming.

Being an Asian woman/woman of colour in STEM, you would have overcome numerous opinions and obstacles. How do you remotivate yourself on days where you are particularly challenged by others’ opinions?

Women as a whole are very strong people with very, very strong skills and opinions. We don’t realise how strong we are until we are tested. At the same time as being fiercely strong, we can also be very submissive. And when I first joined the industry, I knew that I was eager to learn and enthusiastic, but because I was raised to be a submissive and quiet girl, I missed out on some opportunities.

Culturally we are taught to be accommodating as possible and we aren’t supported in finding our voice. But that being said, in my times of being challenged at work, I realised that I can’t do my work or succeed if I am only focusing on others and doing things for people so that they are getting their stuff done. My work also needs to be prioritised. That was a huge lesson, because I was unlearning what I grew up thinking was correct.

There are also a number of challenges which we face that are ethnically based, as well as being a woman. Preconceptions about what I will be like, or how I will work before even getting to know me. And those situations can often make me feel like a doormat, and without energy. I suppose this brings me nicely on to how I motivate myself! Firstly, I think the easiest thing is to look at whether you love your job because that’s a fast way to pull yourself back in and get on track. For instance, I step back and realise that I am making medicine for a living, which is important because we are getting drugs out into the market that will help people. And I find that really rewarding. Another motivating factor is also my team and network. I have an amazing bunch around me, with great managers; so when I’m tired and struggling to find the strength to get dressed in the morning, I remember my team and how they uplift me.

And another important thing is to remember that not everything is in our control – so instead focus on what you do have control over, what you can do and what you can positively influence. These things will help you to feel accomplished and you won’t be weighed down by things which you aren’t able to influence. If you’re overwhelmed then take a step back, make a list and change your actions. It will help you to realise you have the power to change and influence things, which is a great motivator. But the change must come from within and you have a lot more power than you think you do.

Do you have some tips and tricks for young girls/women who are interested in pursuing science? How can they improve their learning and not be deterred by societal opinions?

So aside from obviously watching the series that you’re producing, I think that they could reach out to people and go onto LinkedIn, speak to people who have got the ideal career or have had experience in the area that they want to learn more about. And there’s a wealth of people out there who are really willing to talk and share their experiences.

I’ve had a lot of friends, children, and connections who’ve come to me and said, “you know, what can you tell me about your career journey?”. So, I’ve just given them practical advice on how I prepare myself for an interview and find opportunities or focus on upskilling myself. And now there are so many online resources as well which are great. Company websites have a lot of information on the profiles of their really high flying execs, but then following on you can often find their journey  which might give you an idea of how to get there. Now we see that people aren’t even entering their careers through the traditional career path, and there are other ways to get into the industry. So it’s not only just driven by qualification after qualification, and with that I want to say that if someone’s looking for a job in a similar role to my own, you do not need a Ph.D. That’s a very common misconception. I don’t have a PhD. I really want to do one, and I think maybe now is not the best time for me to think about doing one now, but it’s something that I could pick up in the future. It wouldn’t necessarily help me career wise, but for me it be quite a selfish reason just to get the doctor in front of my name. I think would be the reason for me to do it. But you don’t need a PhD. That’s a common misconception. You need drive, you need passion.

You need to be willing to work the extra hours to learn what you can and show that actions speak louder than words. How committed are you to your career dream? It’s not to say that you have to work your job endlessly, but more that you put in hours to learn other areas, what you love or don’t want to explore, etc. Whether it’s through an apprenticeship to avoid student debt and start earning immediately, or following through education to learn as many skills as you can, you want to give it your all to give yourself the best chance and also feel satisfied.

When you think of an inspiring woman, who comes to mind and why?

I’m going to cheat a little bit and maybe mention a few, if that’s okay. Because the first woman that I think that’s most inspiring and I’m so cliche, but it’s so true, the two women in my life that are the most inspirational for me are my mother and my sister. Because my mother is a superwoman. She had to raise me for starters, and she had two others! She brought us up and worked and looked after the house. She’s the epitome of a superwoman to me. Women of their generation had it all, and yet they didn’t because my mum sacrificed quite a lot and did what she had to support everyone in the family. And the second one is my sister, who is no longer with us, but she was the greatest advocate of my career in science. And she is actually the one who I didn’t mention before, pushed me to go for biochemistry. I remember she said, “Selina, you’ve got the brains. You can do it. I’m so proud of you”. She’d go around telling her friends that I was studying Chemistry, which was so sweet.

But on a professional note, when you compare the men in science to the women – they far outnumber the women. And for me, that was always a strong realisation, even more so when you realise how few have an ethnic background. Marie Curie is a key woman for me – she was a lecturer, won prizes and sadly passed at a young age. But I remember studying about her at school, and the likes of Rosalind Franklin. I could carry on listing women forever! But Marie Curie is the first name that comes to mind, and I think had her career continued, she would have accomplished even more. But to have two Nobel Prizes and to achieve everything that she did, she was a great inspiration.