International Day of Women in Science: Why Do We Need More Women in Science?
Celebrating International Day of Women in Science on February 11th
The International Day of Women in Science is celebrated annually on February 11th to acknowledge the important role women have played in the field of science and to encourage more women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
“My wish is that this will provide a positive message to the young girls who would like to follow the path of science, and to show them that women in science can also have an impact through their research”
– Emmanuelle Charpentier
Are you ready for #WomeninScience Day tomorrow? pic.twitter.com/nH0DxmjTKb
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) February 10, 2023
In the vent of this day, António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations tweets- “More women and girls in science equals a better future for all. We must promote gender equality in science by affirming women’s rights & breaking down stereotypes. Let’s all do our part to fill classrooms, laboratories & boardrooms with women scientists.”
More women and girls in science equals a better future for all.
We must promote gender equality in science by affirming women’s rights & breaking down stereotypes.
Let's all do our part to fill classrooms, laboratories & boardrooms with women scientists.#WomenInScience pic.twitter.com/8LTO1VZ6lX
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) February 11, 2023
Over the years, women have made significant contributions to the scientific community, yet they still face significant obstacles and gender inequalities. For example, many women today are still not given the same salaries as men for the same job role. It has also been found that the career progression for women is not that easy in these fields and they face a lot of roadblocks in actually breaking the glass ceiling. The 108th Indian Science Congress this year had also focused on the role of science and women empowerment. The theme for which was “Science and Technology for Sustainable Development with Women Empowerment”.
Read more: PM Modi Inaugurates 108th Indian Science Congress
Why do we need more women in science?
According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) (Women in Science | UNESCO UIS),only 30% of world’s researchers are women. Considering the fact that the world is in heavy need of more people being involved in STEM subjects and conducting research, 30% is a very small number.
If you are to think about women in India who have made history in science, you can come up with only a few names. Many women might have also been forgotten in time due to the lack of recognition. Our books have never focused on women scientists, our vocabulary has always included the word ‘he’ when referring to a scientist.
The field of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is crucial for shaping our future and solving some of the world’s biggest challenges. However, despite the vital role that STEM plays, women are significantly underrepresented in these fields.
This underrepresentation is not only unfair but also limiting the potential of the STEM
fields. To bridge the gender gap in the field and to be truly able to achieve the potential of the field, we need more women who become a part of STEM subjects. Younger women in rural areas need to follow the footsteps of more women like them in the limelight as this will motivate them to fight for their education and make them believe that it is possible to achieve their dreams.
India has seen some progress in this field
According to All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2020-21, “the Enrolment in STEM (at U.G., P.G., M.Phil. and P.hd. levels) is 94,69,022 out of which 53,74,237 (56.8%) are males and 40,94,785 (43.2%) females.”
While 25,05,224 women were enrolled in science at the UG level, only 23,710 women were enrolled in science at the Ph.D level. This shows that a high number of graduates in science do not translate into women pursuing the same at higher levels of studies.
The International Day of Women in Science is a crucial day of recognition and celebration of the achievements of women in science. This day aims to encourage more girls and women to take an interest in STEM subjects, and to provide role models and support for young women who are pursuing careers in these fields. It also wishes to address the challenges faced by women and how we need to tackle them as a society.
