The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in collaboration with Gender Scan, a biennial survey that looks at issues affecting gender balance in STEM, from education to career, has launched an initiative aimed at collecting comprehensive data to uncover the obstacles and opportunities that women in science and technology encounter daily in classrooms, laboratories, academic forums, enterprises and industries, and decision-making spaces. By capturing data from diverse contexts, the initiative aims to identify both global trends and region-specific realities.
UNESCO data reveals that women make up only 33% of researchers worldwide; hold only 12% of memberships in national science academies and face challenges in obtaining research grants compared to men.
To effectively address this significant gender gap in science, that impacts society at large, it is crucial to delve into the reasons and mechanisms behind it.
To provide a holistic view of the current state of women in Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, including astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, earth sciences, health sciences, information technology, mathematics, physics, and more, two surveys were designed for students and for professionals, respectively. They cover a wide range of key topics addressing educational experiences, career progression, work-life balance, prejudices, harassment, leadership barriers and wage gaps.
UNESCO and Gender Scan are urging Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, universities, research organizations, enterprises and industries in the field of STEM worldwide to promote the survey and encourage widespread participation. The data collected will contribute to the preparation of a report on the status of women in STEM, which UNESCO, in collaboration with the working group on women’s empowerment recently established by the Brazilian presidency, will present at the upcoming G20 summit.
