Bridging the Gap: Women and Girls in Science
February 11 marks the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (IDWGIS), a crucial reminder of the persistent gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. This year's theme, "Synergizing AI, Social Science, STEM, and Finance: Building Inclusive Futures for Women and Girls," highlights the need for a multifaceted approach to accelerate inclusive and sustainable development.
The Challenges
Despite progress in women's participation in higher education, they remain underrepresented in STEM fields. Globally, women make up only 35% of science graduates, and just 31.1% of researchers are women. The numbers are even more dismal in cutting-edge fields like artificial intelligence, where only 1 in 5 professionals is a woman.
The Four-Pillar Approach
To address these disparities, IDWGIS 2026 proposes a four-pillar approach:
1. AI: Harnessing the power of AI for data analytics, health diagnostics, and climate modeling, while ensuring its benefits reach women and girls.
2. Social Science: Guiding the design of equitable policies and community engagement strategies to reach marginalized groups.
3. STEM: Providing technical skills for AI development and fostering gender-balanced research teams.
4. Finance: Unlocking capital for women-led innovations and sustaining STEM education and R&D.
The Time for Action is Now
By synergizing these four domains, we can dismantle persistent barriers, close gender gaps in digital skills, and advance gender-responsive AI governance. It's time to mobilize finance that embeds social inclusion as a performance metric and empowers women and girls to drive innovation and progress.
Some striking facts:
- 46% of young women pursue higher education, compared to 40% of men, yet women are underrepresented in STEM fields.
- Fewer than 2% of quantum sector job applicants are women, and 80% of quantum companies have no senior female leaders.
- In 2022, nine top hydrology journals published no articles referencing gender.
Let's work together to create a more inclusive future for women and girls in science!
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