The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) marked on Wednesday the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, highlighting outstanding female contributions in scientific fields.
Proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, the Day aims to raise awareness of the need to advance science and gender equality together in order to address major global challenges.
Based in Paris, UNESCO stresses that gender equality lies at the heart of its mission and remains a global priority. The organization notes that women continue to be underrepresented in research worldwide, accounting for less than one third of researchers. It therefore calls for greater participation of women in science to foster more ethical, inclusive and socially responsive scientific and technological progress.
On this occasion, a one-day hybrid event is being held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris under the theme From Vision to Impact: Redefining STEM by Bridging the Gender Gap.
Speakers from around the world are sharing effective measures implemented in their respective fields, including health, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and scientific entrepreneurship, to reduce gender disparities and inspire lasting positive change.
Organized in partnership with Femmes@Numérique, a collective dedicated to promoting women’s inclusion in the digital sector, the event places special emphasis on the role of emerging technologies in STEM and their impact on the gender gap.
