International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2025

To commemorate International Day of Women and Girls in Science this year, we spoke to two colleagues from our THOR GmbH site in Speyer, Germany, to hear what initially sparked their scientific curiosities and what they do at THOR.

The United Nations recognises 11 February as International Day of Women and Girls in Science (IDWGIS) to address the significant gender gap that has persisted in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines all over the world. We spoke to two colleagues from Germany, Pia Höftmann and Yvonne Weimer!

What were your early motivations to pursue a scientific career?

Pia: When I was at school, I really enjoyed scientific subjects like maths and biology. I knew that these were my strengths and that I wanted to pursue a career in this field (even if I didn't know exactly which direction to go in at the beginning).

Yvonne: I already knew what I wanted to do when I was 14. At that time, the job of a biological technical assistant was presented in a girls' magazine and almost at the same time there was an open day at the state teaching and research institute. I still remember how fascinated I was in the laboratory (and that was something completely different to watching the teacher do his experiments in school) and immediately knew: "I definitely want to do that".

What is your field of expertise and what do you enjoy about it?

Pia: I have a Bachelor's degree in biology and a Master's degree in toxicology. During my studies, I realised that I prefer planning studies and evaluating data rather than working in the lab myself. That's why I decided to pursue a career in regulatory toxicology. I evaluate the toxicological data on substances and products and commission studies if necessary. I supervise these and then classify the results scientifically. I enjoy the variety of different projects and constantly learning new things that can also be useful in my private life.

Yvonne: I have been working in application technology, specialising in microbiology, for almost 30 years now! Simply, we test on a small scale and in a short time in the laboratory how our preservatives work in the products we use. In principle, we "torture" the raw materials or end products by putting the appropriate germs on them (such as algae on an external facade or bacteria in a paint bucket) and then see whether they pass the test. In other words: whether the preservatives they contain can withstand this infestation. As we preserve almost everything (except food), from paints, varnishes and wet plasters to cosmetic products, fabrics, roof tiles and swimming pool liners, the test regulations are also very different.

To this day, I'm not bored. As we always respond flexibly to customer requests and new products are constantly being developed, my area of ​​responsibility remains varied. It's exciting to test new developments in practice and to see whether they prove themselves or not. Over time, through customer processing, you get to know the companies behind them well, and so our many samples don't just have numbers, but always a development history.

What do you wish for the future of women in science?

Pia: I wish that every woman could shape her (professional) life as she wants and that her work is taken seriously. I'd also like to mentioned that, regardless of whether you are training or studying, whether you are doing science or a trade, whether you know from a young age what you want to be or are still unsure on your first day in the job: don't hesitate to do what you want!

Yvonne: My wish is that every woman with a scientific or technical interest finds an interesting field of work that matches her skills, expectations and creativity. Also that she, like me, finds a lot of joy in her job that lasts for a long time. And I hope that they find an employer who lets them take a break without any problems if they want to devote themselves entirely to their family phase and their small children, and who enables them to return to work later with flexible working hours.