Just as men are working to bridge gender inequalities in traditionally female-dominated fields, women, too, should have the same opportunity in STEM.
Because of this, Gender Equality is a human right and a prerequisite for a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable future. It is not just one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, but it is also included throughout all of them.
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science was designated by the United Nations General Assembly on February 11th.
The decision was made to ensure that women and girls have equal access to and involvement in science. It was also intended to promote gender equality and empowerment
The Africa-2024 Science, Technology, and Innovation Strategy was to boost the participation of women as key contributors to Africa’s growth. Hence, development in science, technology, and innovation.
Simply said, eliminating gender inequality boundaries, will break the monotonous assumptions that only a certain gender is fit for a certain workforce.
In STEM, for instance, women continue to be underrepresented. This is because gender gaps in education pathways have persisted. As a fact, UNICEF shows that only 28% of women account for engineering graduates, while only 40% of women have graduated in computer science and informatics.
More crucially, to help create a lifelong route of opportunity for girls and women in STEM fields is honoring women’s contributions to science during the Covid 19 pandemic.
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In order to witness an increase in female participation, we must value the contributions of women during COVID 19. Women in science should be honored for their contributions to the COVID-19 vaccination as well as the broader COVID-19 emergency response.
Still, they should be recognised for their role in providing evidence-based research that informs policymaking on sustainable food systems, air quality control, climate change, and environmental issues.
If we fail to see this, the statistics for women in science will continue to decline.
