On March 8, 2012, the world celebrates International Women's
Day. Throughout the month, thousands of events will pay homage
to the huge contribution women have made to society. As well as
an opportunity to celebrate women's achievements socially,
politically, and economically, this day is also a sobering
reminder of the continuing struggles women still face during
their lives. One notable area is in science, in which many women
have to overcome substantial barriers to flourish in their
careers. An inspiring story is that of Utako Okamoto, who with
her husband Shosuke Okamoto discovered the antifibrinolytic
drug, tranexamic acid, in the 1950s. Today, this drug is widely
used in surgery and trauma to decrease bleeding and the need for
blood transfusions. Ian Roberts, the chief investigator of the
CRASH-2 study, which showed that the early administration of
tranexamic acid to bleeding trauma patients reduces the risk of
death, recently met Okamoto for the first time in Japan.
Describing her as a “93-year old pow