Summary
- Despite international efforts, today only one in three scientists is a woman.
- It is the loss of the world’s scientific community if girls do not pursue scientific education.
- International Day of Women and Girls in Science is necessary to observe to create consensus.
The United Nations is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science this year in 2025. About ten years ago, in 2015, the UN declared that February 11 will be observed as an International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
The UN is trying to reduce the gender gap in science by observing this day. On this day, different programs are organised all over the world to celebrate the role of women in scientific development and progress. The main aim is to encourage girls and women to take up more scientific and technology subjects and play their due role according to the size of the global population.
What is the significance of this day?
Science is indispensable for progress and development. Scientific progress has provided us so many opportunities. But these benefits are limited to certain geographic regions. Similarly, women have lagged behind in science, too.
Despite international efforts, today only one in three scientists is a woman. It is important to reduce this gender gap because it is hampering economic growth in many countries. The UN believes this is a global issue, as no single nation or community can change the situation.
This is why UNESCO is running an international campaign to create political will to increase women and girls in science education. It is important to bring governments, advocacy groups, and all other stakeholders on one platform. To achieve this target, UNESCO is leading a global campaign. Three action areas that the UN is working on are:
- Dismantling gender stereotypes and biases in science.
- Opening educational pathways for girls in science.
- Creating workplace environments that attract, retain, and advance women scientists.
These efforts include the scientific work of female scientists in the media and textbooks to recognise their contribution on the global stage. To increase research grant opportunities for women and to support efforts through which gender bias and stereotypes could be reduced.
It is also important to support equal pay for women scientists. Long-term job contracts for women are also crucial so that they can better have more options for their family planning. Many countries are also working to encourage work-life balance for female scientists so that they can do research jobs for a long period of time.
In recent years, more women and girls are getting higher education, but their presence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines is still low compared to men, according to the UN.
Why does the UN observe such days?
One question that comes to mind is why the UN observes these days. It is important to note that the culture of observing international days is older than the UN itself. This means that the UN has just adopted it because it feels it is a powerful tool to promote causes and create consensus around the world.
On the occasion of such days, the global media take up these issues and talk about them. The newspapers publish special news features and articles, and thus it helps create awareness. Each year brings some success. Many times these observances are important to create awareness about certain diseases that most people do not know about.
Each special day also provides a new opportunity for the UN to press the governments to take action. Civil society and advocacy groups also play their part to help vulnerable communities. In all such cases, UN observance of a particular day creates a notable impact on the global stage.
How will it help the world?
Women make up half of the world population. They are also half of the global potential. Those countries that have higher gender equality are doing much better than those that have lower opportunities for women. This is because studies show that high number of women and girls in science education promotes economic growth and prosperity.
It is also important to promote science education in women because many bright women do not get opportunities. Lack of opportunities for these girls and women results in lost scientific potential and development for the whole world. The more women and girls in science and technology, the more scientific output we can get from the scientific community of the world.
Despite so much success, millions of young girls are not getting education, let alone quality scientific education. So much of scientific output is at stake if young girls do not get scientific education.
Conclusion
Scientific education has changed our lives. From better health facilities to overall prosperity, scientific knowledge has significantly transformed our lives. By promoting women and girls in science education, the world can produce more scientists, especially those who deserve just a little help to outshine others. A more inclusive world will be a better world, not just for women but for all of us.
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