Closing the gender gap in science - a call to action
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International Women’s Day (IWD) 2025 is just around the corner (Saturday, March 8), and this year’s theme “Accelerate Action" is highly relevant and timely. It emphasises the urgent need for us to take decisive steps toward achieving gender equality. It’s a rallying call to push harder to empower women and girls worldwide.
I had the opportunity to attend the UNESCO event commemorating the 10th anniversary of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (IDWGS) on February 11. At this event, I was fortunate to witness the solidarity and the commitment to bridging the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The discussions among leading women in STEM fields were insightful and promised to foster diversity and inclusion in STEM fields.
Let me summarize the highlights from the UNESCO IDWGS conference:
Ms. Lidia Brito, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences at UNESCO, opened the event with a powerful message: "We Can Do More." She emphasized the importance of initiatives designed to close the gender gap, emphasizing the vital role of youth in shaping the future of STEM. She introduced the unique campaign #EveryVoiceInScience, transforming the aspiration of having more women in STEM into a compelling call to action.
Ms. Ana Persic and Ms. Lora Gailly from UNESCO presented the "Closing the Gender Gap in Science" call to action, outlining strategies to promote gender equality in scientific fields.
Roundtable #1: Unpacking STEM Careers - The Power of Diversity and Inclusion
- Mr. Appolinaire Djikeng, Director General of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), emphasized that diversity transcends mere representation; it enhances research quality. He noted that in regions like the Global South, where animal agriculture is pivotal, women play primary roles. However, only one-third of scientists are women, indicating a need for better support and collaboration to innovate and close the gender gap.
- Ms. Elisa Araya, Rector of the Metropolitan University of Educational Sciences in Chile, advocated for allocating positions to women in educational institutions and encouraging female academicians to engage in research.
- Ms. Melonie Parker, Vice President of Googler Engagement at Google, shared insights from employee satisfaction surveys, emphasizing the importance of tracking career lifecycles and addressing critical moments that matter to employees.
- Mr. Julio Alberto Pertuze Salas, Associate Professor at Universidad Catolica de Chile, highlighted that while 50% of STEM enrolment is female, only 30% transition into careers, with women comprising just 16% of faculty. He proposed a multifaceted approach, including engaging high school students, supporting first-year female engineering students, recruiting more female faculty, overcoming biases, and promoting teamwork and leadership.
- Ms. Mariam Abbas Ibrahim Abdelghafour, Professor at Sudan University of Science and Technology, discussed ongoing medicinal plant research and highlighted that 80% of Sudanese scientists are displaced, underscoring the challenges faced by women in STEM in conflict zones.
A poignant moment arose when a 14-year-old student observed that, despite girls doing more work, boys received more attention from teachers. Ms. Araya acknowledged this unconscious bias, emphasizing the need for data-driven policies and explicit actions to address such disparities.
When the moderator asked: In one word, describe your STEM career. Here is what the panellists said:
Inspiring
Innovation
Empowered
Full of Opportunities
Learning
The panellists were also asked, in one sentence, what do you think would be different in your field if more women were involved?
- Scientific women will help women
- More innovation
- Will normalize women being in these roles more – would not need such campaigns
- Women perceive the world differently. Help women advance, you help humanity to advance.
Roundtable #2: Her Voice in Science - Inspiring Change in the Media
The second roundtable focused on the media's role in shaping perceptions of women in STEM:
- Ms. Georja Calvin-Smith, news anchor at France24 said that she was lucky that she had been surrounded by lot of people who are not surprised by women doing amazing things. She talked about how media sometimes has a tendency to amputate problems from their context. How do we get more women to join STEM is a result of another problem – that we do not recognize contributions of women who are already in science! Media must intentionally, consciously re-evaluate what is being demonstrated and be aware that it will feed into the next generation.
- Mr. Jamy Gourmaud, founder of Épicurieux, discussed the importance of making science accessible and engaging, aiming to spark interest and empowerment among women to explore new career dimensions.
- Ms. Ayumi Moore Aoki, founder and CEO of Women in Tech ® Global, highlighted the media's influence on societal perceptions. She cited a study analyzing 142 films with AI, revealing that only 8% of AI professionals depicted were women. This underrepresentation affects how young girls perceive their potential roles in STEM.
There was a screening of the short film for the audience, "Beyond Ceilings," that metaphorically illustrated the invisible barriers women face. It showed a girl going through her day, and everywhere she went, the ceiling was very low. In the end she just goes back to her room. Ms. Ayumi emphasized that these glass ceilings do exist and we need to collectively shatter them.
- Ms. Anne Richardson, Senior Project Manager for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the European Broadcasting Union, emphasized the need for deliberate efforts in media to feature women experts, thereby normalizing their presence and breaking stereotypes.
The road ahead – Our collective responsibility
The UNESCO-IDWGS event ended with a screening of the documentary: “Women of Science: These women who change our lives”, a fitting tribute to the trailblazers in science who inspire aspiring young women to follow their heart.
As we celebrate the International Women’s Day, let’s be mindful that the collective responsibility of creating a space where women have more opportunities in pursuing science lies on our shoulders. The educational institutions, corporations, media, and policymakers need to work together to foster an inclusive environment where women and girls can thrive in scientific fields. By addressing unconscious biases, providing support systems, and showcasing role models, society can move closer to achieving gender parity in STEM, benefiting from the diverse perspectives and innovations that women bring to these fields.
What are your thoughts on this? How would you contribute to closing the gender gap and empowering women in your community?
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