Are you one of the researchers who publishes the most in Peru? I'm not.

A few months ago, a list of the most published researchers in our country was released, and as expected, I knew I wouldn't be on it. Most of the names on the list were men, and the few women who appeared were probably already over 50, the time needed to recover from the ups and downs in academic production that women face after giving birth and raising children.

Women face various challenges; according to research, we do three times more housework than men. In my case, the day I started breastfeeding my oldest daughter, I realized I would never be equal to male researchers. Breastfeeding is a full-time job, and academic institutions are not structurally prepared to mitigate its impact or the impact of everything that motherhood entails on women's work. Aware of this, I decided to prioritize my research, focusing on the studies I considered most relevant. In that process, I learned to identify those projects that fulfilled me as a person, that gave my life purpose, and that could have a profound impact on the communities that needed it most. I learned a lot on this journey, to discern which research to pursue and which to let go. Because a researcher's path is not linear; there are always detours that teach us valuable lessons.

However, it's important to recognize that not all researchers choose to be mothers, and even then they face an uneven and winding path for other reasons. The lack of representation, implicit bias, and constant pressure to prove their worth in a predominantly male environment are significant challenges. These structural and cultural barriers also impact the career paths of many women who, regardless of their personal decisions about motherhood, must navigate a system that doesn't always value or support their contributions equally.

The outside world tends to focus on quantification: how many publications you have, what journals they're published in, how many awards you've won. But we should stop measuring people by these standards and reflect on the following: Are we making a positive impact on our environment? Are we addressing issues that are important to communities and contributing to the well-being of our society? Does our work make us feel better people? If the answer is yes, you should feel fulfilled. In conclusion, being a researcher, and especially a female researcher, involves navigating a path full of unique challenges. Whether balancing the responsibilities of motherhood or confronting other forms of inequality, it is crucial that we recognize and value the diverse paths to success. What truly matters is not just what we achieve individually, but how we transform our environment and the lives of the people we touch.