The 7th International Day of Women and Girls in Science marked on February 11 focuses on the theme ‘Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Water Unites Us’. It turns the spotlight on gender equality as a key to achieving sustainable development goals or the SDGs.
The United Nations has noted that ‘Science and gender equality are both vital for the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Over the past decades, the global community has made a lot of efforts in inspiring and engaging women and girls in science. Yet women and girls continue to be excluded from participating fully in science.’
To bridge the gap and create a more level-playing field for women and girls in the sphere, in 2015, February 11 was declared as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science by the United Nations General Assembly.
The current year’s theme recognizes the role of girls and women in speeding up the progress towards the achievement of SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation),
The girls and women are not only seen as beneficiaries but are also agents of change.
As seen across the world, India has had a poor representation of women in science. Despite a good number of them taking up the courses, participation in the field has remained low due to the gender pay gap and lack of a supportive ecosystem.
