Ranjan K Baruah
(With direct inputs from UN/WHO publication and feedback may be sent to bkranjan@gmail.com)
We have seen much progress in recent years due to science and technology. In the journey of progress, we have missed something that we must take care of if we want positive changes in society. We are aware that women and girls represent half of the world's population and, therefore, also half of its potential. There is no doubt that gender equality, besides being a fundamental human right, is essential to achieving peaceful societies with full human potential and sustainable development.
In the field of education and picking up subjects for studies, we have seen that the participation of girls is lower when it comes to STEM. Well, STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. A significant gender gap has persisted throughout the years at all levels of STEM disciplines all over the world. The global data says that women are typically given smaller research grants than their male colleagues, and, while they represent 33.3% of all researchers, only 12% of members of national science academies are women. Interestingly, in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, only one in five professionals (22%) is a woman. Despite a shortage of skills in most of the technological fields driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution, women still account for only 28% of engineering graduates and 40% of graduates in computer science and informatics.
As the issue needs focus and also importance, 11th February has been marked to celebrate a day for girls and women in science. This year, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (IDWGIS) focused on the role of women and girls in science as it relates to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In doing so, the IDWGIS aims to connect the international community to women and girls in science, strengthening the ties between science, policy, and society for strategies oriented towards the future.
On December 22, 2015, the United Nations General Assembly decided to establish an annual International Day to recognise the critical role women and girls play in science and technology through Resolution A/RES/70/212. IDWGIS, celebrated on February 11, is implemented by UNESCO and UN-Women in collaboration with institutions and civil society partners that aim to promote women and girls in science.
The Secretary-General of the UN said in his message that "women and girls bring diversity to research, expand the pool of science professionals, and provide fresh perspectives to science and technology, benefiting everyone, and there is growing evidence that gender bias in science is leading to worse outcomes, from drug tests that treat the female body as an aberration to search algorithms that perpetuate bias and discrimination." Women need science, and science needs women. Only by tapping into all sources of knowledge and all sources of talent can we unlock the full potential of science and rise to the challenges of our time. Together, we can and must promote women and girl scientists through scholarships, internships, fellowships, and other support programmes. We have to ensure that girls take up STEM courses, and there must be a platform to guide and support them.
We must raise awareness and encourage our girls to take up STEM subjects in higher education. Together, we can make a better world when more girls choose STEM and complete academic qualifications related to the same. We have to bring everyone forward for sustainable and equitable development, and we can do it.