UNIS/SGSM/1299
9 February 2023
On this International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we highlight a simple equation: More women and girls in science equals better science.
Women and girls bring diversity to research, expand the pool of science professionals, and provide fresh perspectives to science and technology, benefiting everyone.
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.
Yet in too many places around the world, women and girls’ access to education is limited or denied completely.
As women look to progress in scientific careers, inequalities and discrimination continue to thwart their potential.
Women make up under a third of the workforce across science, technology, engineering, and maths and even less in cutting edge fields. Just one in five professionals working on Artificial Intelligence is a woman.
We must – and we can – do more to promote women and girl scientists:
Through scholarships, internships, and training programmes that provide a platform to succeed.
Through quotas, retention incentives, and mentorship programmes that help women overcome entrenched hurdles and build a career.
And crucially, by affirming women’s rights and breaking down stereotypes, biases, and structural barriers.
We can all do our part to unleash our world’s enormous untapped talent – starting with filling classrooms, laboratories, and boardrooms with women scientists.
* *** *
The International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) is proud to join the world in celebrating World Water Day. The theme for this year's celebration is "Be the Change," highlighting the vital importance of water and how to protect and manage this precious resource for future generations.
The 8th Planetary Defense Conference (PDC) of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) organized with the support of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Geosciences Commission of the Austrian Academy of Sciences will bring together world experts to discuss human knowledge about potentially hazardous asteroids and comets and possible defensive action in the event that one of them is on a collision course with Earth.
"Nowruz marks new beginnings.
A “new day”.
A new year.
The arrival of spring and rebirth of nature.
For more than 300 million people around the world, it is a time for family and friends to come together, reflect on the past and look forward to a brighter future." — António Guterres
Global production of cocaine has jumped dramatically over the past two years following an initial slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report released today by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
