Statements
International Women’s Day: It’s time for a women’s STEM renaissance
March 8, 2021
Gender equality is critical to a functional and fair society, and is explicitly necessary to the attainment of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. As stated therein1, the Sustainable Development Goals “seek to realize the human rights of all and to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”. Moreover, supporting of young girls, their education and inclusion are critical levers for not only sustainable development but also for peace2. However, significant obstacles prevent women’s full participation in society – and in science.
As part of global efforts to promote full and equal access to and participation in STEM for women and girls, as well as facilitate gender equality and the empowerment, the United Nations General Assembly introduced resolution A/RES/70/212 pronouncing 11 February as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. The event is implemented by UNESCO and UN-Women3, in partnership with institutions and civil society allies worldwide. The 2021 celebration of the event was under the umbrella “Women Scientists at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19” which brought together professionals serving in fields related to the pandemic from across the globe.
For International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8th, this year’s theme is “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world”4. Despite widespread praise for the handling of COVID-19 by countries with female leaders5, women hold only about 25% of national parliamentary seats worldwide6. Notably, a study7 found that female leaders tended to lock down earlier in the first wave of COVID-19, thereby decreasing their countries’ infection rates and significantly lowering the corresponding number of deaths. The Generation Equality campaign8 is well-aligned with the theme of IWD 2021, as it calls for “women’s right to decision-making in all areas of life, equal pay, equal sharing of unpaid care and domestic work, an end to all forms of violence against women and girls, and health-care services that respond to their needs”4.
UN estimates indicate the proportion of women researchers globally is below 30% of the overall value9. Moreover, figures from UNESCO (2014 - 2016)10, show merely 30% of female students choose STEM-associated domains in higher education, translating to low participation in information and communications technology (3%); natural science, mathematics and statistics (5%); and engineering, manufacturing and construction (8%). All of this even though they account for 53% of students at the Bachelor’s and Master’s levels of study, and 43 % of PhD enrolments11. Entrenched prejudices and gender stereotypes drive girls and women from STEM-related domains or bar their entry to begin with. Moreover, women receive 11% less income compared to their male colleagues despite representing 70% of health and social care workers3. The pandemic has had dire impacts on the career prospects and scientific productivity12 of women scientists, especially for those who are early in their careers. This has further exacerbated existing gender disparities, and is likely to continue through the recovery phase as inequitable downsizing practices are enacted and gender biased career progression programmes proceed without providing consideration for the effect of the pandemic13.
This year’s celebration is unique as 2021 intersects with the final decade of action to deliver the SDGs as well as global efforts towards sustainable recovery from the coronavirus crisis. The so-called Decade of Action is a global rally of efforts to accelerate sustainable measures in addressing pressing global challenges — this includes issues from poverty and gender to climate change14. The United Nations has encouraged all sectors of society to rally their resources towards the decade of action in three core dimensions: global action to achieve effective leadership, improved resources and smarter solutions for realising the Sustainable Development Goals14. The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted women’s crucial contributions: pioneering cutting-edge public health research15; increasing awareness of the virus and its transmission pathways16; and being on the frontlines of the coronavirus response as scientists15 and health care workers17, amongst others18.
Gender equity measures will have to have impact at the highest levels of decision-making to become truly transformative19. As the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made”20. This is particularly poignant as we continue down the path of recovery and rebuilding from COVID-19, during which time we must continue to elevate women to positions of power and influence. Furthermore, women at all levels must be provided with comprehensive support and requisite incentives for their advancement and thriving. Effectively addressing some of the urgent issues of the Agenda for Sustainable Development -- from enhancing health to fighting climate change21 -- depends on harnessing all talents because enhancing diversity in research enlarges the share of skilled researchers, providing novel perspectives and creativity. This points to having more women engaged in these areas. In promoting equity in science, there is need for special attention to the value of the social influences and cultural facets, for example, by reimagining the way that childcare is managed at the household and/or institutional level22. This year’s celebration reminds us that women and girls are instrumental in STEM and that their participation needs to be enhanced. After all, the world needs science, and science needs women and girls.
Felix Kwabena Donkor
Christa G. von Hillebrandt-Andrade
Tiegan E. Hobbs
Hazards Equity Working Group of the American Geophysical Union Natural Hazards Section
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References
1 https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda
2 https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/how-gender-equality-could-help-build-sustainable-peace/
3 http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/international-day-of-women-and-girls-in-science
4 https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/11/announcer-international-womens-day-2021
5 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/25/why-do-female-leaders-seem-to-be-more-successful-at-managing-the-coronavirus-crisis#
6 https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2021/3/compilation-claiming-womens-space-in-leadership
7 https://www.pri.org/stories/2020-08-31/its-official-women-are-better-leaders-pandemic
8 https://www.unwomen.org/en/get-involved/beijing-plus-25
9 https://www.un.org/en/observances/women-and-girls-in-science-day
10 https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000253479
11 https://en.unesco.org/sites/default/files/usr15_is_the_gender_gap_narrowing_in_science_and_engineering.pdf
12 https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01294-9
13 https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02183-x
14 https://www.unicef-irc.org/article/1965-countdown-to-2030.html
15 https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/02/women-stem-covid-19-un/
16 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/women-led-tech-start-up-creates-digital-tool-to-combat-covid-19-in-developing-world-301067853.html
17 https://www.journalpulmonology.org/en-challenges-for-female-health-care-workers-articulo-S2531043720302117
18 https://msmagazine.com/2020/03/13/coronavirus-covid19-gender-gap-women-workers-nurses-teachers-flight-airline-attendants/
19 https://en.unesco.org/commemorations/womenandgirlinscienceday
20 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54218139
21 https://www.who.int/globalchange/GenderClimateChangeHealthfinal.pdf
Our Charge (Foundation of this Group)
June 2020
The [Hazards Equity working] group [(HEWG)] within the AGU Natural Hazards (NH) section will address the long-recognized problem that low income and minority communities are often especially vulnerable to natural disasters. These critical problems remain unresolved today, and could continue to worsen in the absence of scientifically-based policy changes that anticipate future risks. The ENDM group will focus on how we can use our science to help communities and policy makers address the need for equity in natural disaster mitigation. It will seek new and innovative ways to expand traditional activities.
The group's activities will be consistent with AGU's new strategic plan that emphasizes the joint goals of advancing scientific discovery and using the results to address societal challenges, and the NH section's group's goals of better understanding and mitigating the effects of natural hazards. This need is highlighted by recent global activation of younger generations toward projects that address racial/economic inequality and social justice.
The group will be a grassroots organization, seeking diversity in subject discipline, race, ethnicity, gender, and countries represented. It will invite participants at all levels of involvement, including ones interested in leadership roles. Organizationally, the group will be flexible and adaptive, choosing structure that will allow maximum participation.
The group leadership will have considerable autonomy, but work with and report to the NH Section leadership on major decisions. Because many in the group are likely to be young scientists, the [HEWG] group will coordinate with the section Early Career and Student committee. The group will also coordinate with AGU’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs as well as with other sections, to explore ways by which its efforts may help in fostering participation and inclusion of underrepresented groups in natural hazards science and increasing the diversity of the natural hazard community.
Given the multi-faceted issues and many stakeholders involved in natural disaster mitigation, the group will seek ties with other sections of AGU, other scientific and professional societies, governmental and community groups, and other interested parties to expand beyond the traditional AGU network.
Seth Stein (AGU NH President)
Dalia Kirschbaum (President-elect)
June 29, 2020