International Day of Women and Girls in Science

Women represent practically half of the world’s population (49.7%), but only a third of the global scientific community. And according to UNESCO’s 2024 report Changing the equation: Securing STEM futures for women, women only occupy 22% of STEM jobs in G20 countries.

On this International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we want girls and young people to be aware that it is possible to break down gender barriers in science, and to know that many talented and courageous female researchers have paved the way for women in scientific professions.

With the slogan: “Harnessing the synergies between artificial intelligence, social sciences, STEM, and the financial system: building an inclusive future for women and girls”, on this day, the United Nations reminds us that to bridge the gender gap, we must act on these four pillars, all of which are essential.

However, aside from these four tools for inclusion, we cannot forget the importance of inspiration. There are many universal role models such as Marie Curie and Andrea Ghez, two women awarded the Nobel Prize who, despite being separated by a century, share the need to fight to carve out a space for themselves in a traditionally male-dominated world. So when Andrea Ghez learned that she had been awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics, she encouraged more women to get involved in the world of science: “I hope to inspire other young women in this field, a field that is so rewarding and in which, if you are passionate about science, there is so much you can do.”

In Spain, girls and young people can also look to exceptional female scientists as role models. These include Margarita Salas, a biochemist who revolutionized molecular genetics and who received our Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.  “The difference between men and women is not a question of sex, but of people”, said the former director of the Severo Ochoa Molecular Biology Center in an interview. Of the 23 directors the center has had since 1975, only three have been women.

Like Margarita Salas, many other women have claimed and continue to claim the space that women deserve in scientific disciplines. Among them are Josefina Castellví, polar explorer and director of the first Spanish base in Antarctica; Mercedes Zurita, head of the Cell Therapy Unit of the Neurosurgery Department at the Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda Hospital, whose research in cell therapies we have been supporting for 25 years; and Margarita del Val, a scientific researcher, virologist, and immunologist at the Severo Ochoa Molecular Biology Center in Madrid. Their careers, which demonstrate that perseverance transforms science and society, and those of thousands of women scientists who lead cutting-edge public and private research, have placed Spain at the forefront of international scientific research.

Even so, there is still much to be done. Although women make up the majority of students in higher education, their presence in STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) remains low. That is why initiatives that inspire vocations and make science accessible to girls and young women are so important.

Today we are celebrating inspiring women scientists and renewing our commitment to equal opportunities. Let’s continue to highlight role models, create opportunities, and share spaces so that female talent can grow without limits, transforming society.