Celebrating International Day of Women and Girls in Science: Dietetics

Started in 2015, International Day of Women and Girls in Science aims to promote full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls in traditionally male-dominated industries, to inspire an increase in gender diversity, a vital component to drive innovation.

At Leeds Beckett University (LBU), we celebrate our students and colleagues daily – so, who better to tell you what it’s like to study, teach and work in science here as a woman than members of our own scientific community?

Fatimah Khathun, final year BSc (Hons) Dietetics student

Fatimah is a final year mature student studying BSc (Hons) Dietetics. She has always had a keen interest in diabetes, but since studying the course has become interested in exploring a wider range of areas of dietetics.

Why did you choose to study at Leeds Beckett?

Leeds Beckett University is a great location for me to study as I’m able to commute easily by train.

The placements throughout the course have also been great. They’ve allowed me to challenge myself and develop, working in areas ranging from acute, community and outpatient settings, as well as enabling me apply theory during university into practice.

I’ve always had a keen interest in diabetes; however, placement has exposed me to a range of other interesting areas within dietetics, which has taught me to be open to a wider range of opportunities and to never stop learning.

What is your biggest achievement in your studies so far?

Creating the Nutrition and Dietetic Society alongside my peers at university in 2022. It’s brought together a community of likeminded students and promoting nutrition and dietetics.

We host a stall at the University’s freshers fair and have also hosted a range of events such as guest speakers, journal clubs and social gatherings. Our active social media presence allows us to promote CPD opportunities, share student blogs and engage with our members.

What do you feel is the best way to inspire more women and girls to study and work in STEM?

Stories from positive role models in the form of blogs, videos, speaker events are always good to increase visibility.

Mentorship from healthcare backgrounds is also a good way to inspire more women and girls to work in STEM.

What advice do you have for any women looking to study Dietetics?

Attend university open days and ask the lecturers and students and find out more about the course you’ll be studying. I’d recommend learning more about dietetics through webinars – MyNutriWeb offer free CPD within a variety of different dietetic specialities.

You could also follow dietetic students and societies on social media to learn more about the profession or gain voluntary work experience / shadow a dietitian within a food or healthcare setting. Don’t be afraid to reach out to organisations for opportunities.

What does the future hold for you?

After I graduate, I’d like to work within the NHS as a Band 5 Dietitian. My aim is to secure a rotational role to allow me to learn more about different dietetic areas and continue developing my skills.

Claire Gardiner, Senior Lecturer in Dietetics

Claire has been working as a clinical dietician for 27 years in Leeds. She joined the team at Leeds Beckett in 2009, moving to the post full-time in 2018. Claire is passionate about working with service users with chronic conditions to help them improve and manage their symptoms. She is currently enjoying the opportunity to help develop students to be future practitioners.

What is your biggest achievement in your career?

There are a few moments that I am proud of, but my biggest achievement was leading the British Dietetic Association (BDA) Renal Nutrition Group (RNG) outcomes group from 2011 – 2016.

I led a committed and innovative team of dietitians from all over the UK with the aim to create a tool to use as a platform for collecting outcomes of dietetic intervention in clinical practice, an identified gap in all areas of dietetics. The tool was used to launch work on outcomes in other dietetic specialist groups as well as the BDA.

What challenges have you experienced in your career as a woman working in science and how have you overcome these?

Finding a good work/life balance while trying to advance in my career and being seen and heard as a woman in science, including being taken seriously and validated.

I’m also a parent which is a full-time job. Both parenting and working in this field are very demanding and require a huge amount of commitment.

I’ve learnt – after experiencing lack of confidence, imposter syndrome and burn out – that it’s about managing expectations, being organised and knowing when to step away.

Having interests outside of work keeps me grounded and allows space to take a breather and look at things with fresh eyes. If you don’t promote yourself and your profession, no one else will.

What advice do you have for any women looking to work in Dietetics?

For anyone looking to study dietetics, firstly research: what is a dietitian? Make sure it’s the job for you – look at websites such as the BDA, Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), and YouTube.

The profession is so diverse now – dietitians are not just working in healthcare settings, but involved in research, industry, freelance, in media, academia, sports – it never ends. Be aware of the expectations of the course you are undertaking and know that it’s an intense course as there is a lot to learn.

No matter how long your journey or route you choose, the results are the same – you become a HCPC registered dietitian, and I personally think it is a fantastic profession to be part of.

Dietetics is quite a female-dominated science. Why do you think this is and what impact does it have?

Historically, the dietician role originated from nursing sisters working in the hospitals. So, it has traditionally always been seen as a female profession. The last HCPC review of registered dietitians showed 93% females, similar to our other Allied Health Professions (AHP) peers.

We rarely have trouble recruiting female students to the course, however, we don’t reflect a representation of the population we serve and this can have a negative impact on recruitment.

Dietetics can be seen as white middle-class female profession and I think this needs to change. A more diverse workforce is needed with more role models to continually grow diversity in the workforce, and for our service users as well – to see themselves reflected by the profession and feel understood and heard.

Which female scientist do you find most inspiring and why?

Elsie Widdowson, who worked alongside Dr Robert McCance. Both were very influential in rationing during the second world war, as well as overseeing the government mandate of fortification of foods with vitamins.

They also created a pioneering database providing details on the nutritional content of foods consumed in the UK, expanding our knowledge in nutrition and how we can manipulate diet to ensure nutritional adequacy of our service users.

It might seem cliche focusing on dietetics and science, but she has been very inspirational in my learning and her work was so important that it remains impactful on how I practice today.

How do you aim to inspire aspiring female scientists?

Promotion of the profession: I try to make myself visible to others. Whether this is sharing work I’m involved in on my staff profile or taking part in events such as STEM week at my old primary school or conferences.

I recently attended the BDA research symposium and spoke to a student who had just started her degree. We had lunch together and she asked lots of questions about my journey into dietetics and afterwards emailed me to thank me and said she now wants to be a renal dietitian.

So, it’s important that we spend time inspiring and supporting the growth of this profession.

Where would you like to progress in the future? Do you have any long-term career goals?

I’d like to improve my skills as an early career researcher, and I have plans to work towards gaining my PhD – watch this space.

To explore what you could accomplish as a woman in science, check out our courses in Dietetics and Nutrition today.