International Day of Women and Girls in Science Highlights Gender Gap in STEM

International Day of Women and Girls in Science (11 February) is being used this year to spotlight how persistent gender gaps in STEM are holding back innovation and inclusive development.

What the day is about

• The UN established the day in 2015 to promote equal participation for women and girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and to push governments and institutions to act on gender inequality in these fields.
• The 2026 observance focuses on themes like “Redefining STEM by Closing the Gender Gap” and using AI, social science, STEM and finance together to build more inclusive futures for women and girls.

The gender gap in STEM

• Women are more likely than young men to enter higher education, yet they represent only about 35% of science graduates worldwide.
• In fast‑growing tech areas, women make up roughly 26% of the workforce in data and artificial intelligence and only about 12% in cloud computing, underscoring how deep the digital gender divide remains.
• These gaps are linked to underfunding of women’s research, persistent stereotypes about who “belongs” in science, and discriminatory workplace practices that limit career progression.

Why this matters

• Excluding women from science weakens the collective ability to tackle major challenges such as climate change, public health and space security, because solutions are shaped by a narrower set of perspectives.
• Increasing women’s participation in STEM boosts innovation, improves the relevance of research for diverse communities, and supports more equitable economic growth.

How the day is being marked in 2026

• UN agencies, UNESCO and partners are convening events that highlight data on gender gaps, showcase women scientists, and discuss policies like gender‑responsive AI governance and financing mechanisms that reward inclusion.
• Scientific organizations such as ESA, CERN and others in Europe are amplifying women researchers’ voices, sharing career “words of wisdom,” and promoting outreach so girls can meet real scientists and see STEM as a viable path.
• Universities and research institutions (for example, the Columbia Climate School) are profiling women leading work on climate, energy and data science to make their contributions more visible to students and the public.