International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2025

Every 11 February Arqus celebrates International Day of Women and Girls in Science to highlight the achievements and contributions made by female scientists and the need to further achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In 2025, we reach the 10th anniversary of this initiative, first launched by the United Nations. This date was chosen to honour the birthday of Marie Curie, a pioneering physicist and chemist who made groundbreaking discoveries in the fields of radioactivity and nuclear physics.

Today, only one in three scientists is a woman. The lack of gender equality in science does not only affect women, but it also limits global scientific progress and the efforts to build peaceful societies, according to UNESCO’s Call to Action: Closing the gender gap in science (2024).

Women have achieved parity in life sciences in many countries, but remain a minority in digital information technology, computing, physics, mathematics and engineering (UNESCO, 2024). The lower rate of enrolment in physical sciences may be in some cases mainly due to gender stereotypes and barriers.

In certain contexts, female researchers are still in a vulnerable position when communicating publicly about their work. Moreover, many women in science and innovation research face important challenges such as discrimination, family-work balance, sexual harassment, and vertical and horizontal segregation, as stated by the study “One in two women scientists say they have experienced sexual harassment at work” (Ipsos & L’Oréal Foundation, 2023).

To achieve full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls, we must enhance the visibility of women scientists and their contributions, break down barriers and stereotypes that have historically limited the participation of women in these fields, and create empowering workplace environments through policy actions that promote inclusion, diversity and equity.

“The pursuit of gender equality in science (…) is not a distant aspiration; rather, it stands well within our reach.” (UNESCO, 2024).

The Arqus Alliance is committed to ensuring greater access by girls to STEM disciplines. Through the Common Charter on Gender Equality, Inclusion and Sustainability,  Arqus has proposed a series of plans with several lines of action, underscoring how universities have a responsibility to provide inclusive education.

The Arqus Inclusion and Diversity Hub continues working towards an inclusive, accessible and diverse Alliance, integrating a gender and I&D lens into all Arqus activities. The Inclusion and Diversity Action Plan guides the Arqus Alliance community’s collective responsibility.