AND
on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we reaffirm a fundamental truth: equality in the sciences is essential for the progress of humanity.
Despite advances in access to education, women continue to be held back in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics by a lack of research funding, gender stereotypes, and discriminatory practices in the workplace.
Worldwide, only one in three researchers is a woman. This gap is especially pronounced in the technology field, where women represent only 26 percent of the workforce dedicated to data and artificial intelligence and 12 percent of those dedicated to cloud computing.
The lack of female voices, especially in leadership positions, causes digital tools to incorporate biases and has harmful real-world consequences.
Excluding women from science weakens our collective ability to address pressing global challenges, from climate change to public health and space security.
To solve these problems, we must ensure that all girls can imagine a future in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics and that all women can thrive in the scientific career of their choice.
For this reason, the United Nations supports women and girls in these disciplines, among others through scholarships, internships and mentoring programs in many of them.
From advancing renewable energy to preventing the next pandemic, our future depends on harnessing all the human talent possible.
Today and every day, let us ensure that women and girls can realize their scientific ambitions, for their rights and for the benefit of all.
* Secretary General of the United Nations Organization
