On 22 December 2015, the General Assembly decided to establish an annual International Day to recognize the critical role women and girls play in science and technology, through Resolution A/RES/70/212(link is external).
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science, celebrated on 11 February, is implemented by UNESCO and UN-Women(link is external), in collaboration institutions and civil society partners that aim to promote women and girls in science. This Day is an opportunity to promote full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls. Gender equality is a global priority for UNESCO, and the support of young girls, their education and their full ability to make their ideas heard are levers for development and peace.
Tackling some of the greatest challenges of the Agenda for Sustainable Development — from improving health to combating climate change — will rely on harnessing all talent. That means getting more women working in these fields. Diversity in research expands the pool of talented researchers, bringing in fresh perspectives, talent and creativity. 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.
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- Global event: Women scientists at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19
Online from Paris, France, 11 February 2021The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has been an awakening in many ways. It has clearly demonstrated the ingenuity of women researchers and their critical role in different stages of the fight against COVID 19, from advancing the knowledge on the virus to developing Technics for testing and finally the vaccine against the virus.
Meanwhile, studies have shown that the COVID-19 pandemic has also had a significant negative impact on women scientists, particularly affecting those at early-career stages, thus widening of the existing gender gap in science. This, again, reveals gender disparities in the scientific system which need to be addressed by new policies, initiatives and mechanisms to support women and girls in science.
This round-table will gather experts working in fields related to the pandemic from different parts of the world.