11 February 2022
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science, celebrated each year on 11 February, was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2016 to promote full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls. This day is a reminder that women and girls play a critical role in science and technology communities and that their participation should be strengthened in order to achieve their full and equal access to science, gender equality, and empowerment.
Science and gender equality are critical in achieving the internationally agreed development goals, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. UNESCO estimates that only 30% of the world’s researchers are women. While a growing number of women are enrolling in university, many opt out at the highest levels required for a research career. As such the average proportion of women researchers in Central Asia in 2018 is 44.9%, in Kazakhstan (52.8%), Kyrgyzstan (46.5%), Uzbekistan (40.8%) and Tajikistan (37.5%). Besides, there are still many “leakages”: from stereotypes encountered by girls to the family-caring responsibilities and bias women may face when choosing a career.
Since 2017, the UNESCO Office in Almaty has been organizing the celebration of this day to raise awareness of the empowerment of women and girls in science with the focus on vulnerable populations. This year an advocacy event on “The power of girls in science” will be organized on 18th February aiming at promoting the full and equal access and participation of girls and women in science.
More information available here
Permanent link: http://en.unesco.kz/international-day-of-women-and-girls-in-science-2022