8th International Day of Women and Girls in Science Assembly

Statement by Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of UNCTAD

 

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High-Level Official Segment "Think Science. Think Peace"

Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear friends,

We are going through painful times. Cascading crises engulf our world – COVID-19, climate change and the rising cost of living are hitting the most vulnerable around the world.

But one positive driving force for the improvement of the well-being of many continues to be science, technology and innovation.

We are still living in a time of rapid advances in science and technology. It is a time when innovation and discovery are driving our economy and shaping our future.

But in this time of scientific progress, there is one area where we are falling behind, and by a lot – gender equality in science, technology, and innovation.

The fact is that women are underrepresented in STI by a margin of almost one woman for every four men.

This is now, let’s be clear, not a “women problem” – but a problem for society as a whole. When half of our population is not given the opportunity to fully participate in these fields, we are missing out on talent, discoveries, perspectives and ideas.

But the problem goes beyond a problem of opportunity – that no doubt is a problem.

But women who do enter STI fields often face discrimination and bias. They are paid less, promoted less and given fewer resources than their male counterparts.

This is unacceptable and must change.

This STI gap is one of the widest gaps that make up the larger gender inequality.

We must remember that we have lost hard-won advances in recent years. The pandemic costs women around $800 billion in income. Labour markets have not recovered for most women around the world.

And it is now foreseen that it will take almost 132 years to close the global gender gap at the current rate – about 30 years more than estimated in 2019.

By closing the science gap for women and girls, we can help to close all gaps. We therefore need to take action to support and encourage women and girls in science.

This means providing girls with access to education and resources, creating a culture that values and respects women's contributions and addressing the systemic biases that have held women back for far too long.

We must work to introduce girls to positive scientific role models, overcome stereotypes and implement policy changes and innovative practices that empower women to reach their full potential.

The digital revolution offers unique opportunities to drive this change, and UNCTAD is committed to working with UN agencies, civil society and the private sector to ensure that women can fully benefit from them.

We must act now – for the sake of women and for the sake of our world.

Let us work together, in the framework of this International Day of Women and Girls in Science, to achieve gender equality in science and build a brighter future for us all.

I look forward to our discussions in this Assembly and invite all to join in this wonderful celebration of the role of women and girls in science. 

Thank you.