This year, UNESCO celebrates its 7th annual International Day of Women and Girls in Science since its establishment in 2015. In alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6, to ensure access to water and sanitation for all, this year’s theme is “Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Water Unites Us”.
The Day, on February 11th, aims to amplify the critical role that women and girls can and do play in science and technology. As part of UNESCO’s 2030 Agenda, the Day serves to recognize that progress in gender equality and progress in science go hand-in-hand when trying to address global issues.
Groups and organisations around the globe chose to honour this Day in various fashions, adapting to the state of COVID-19. Here are some of the ways that our members are celebrating the International Day of Women and Girls in Science:
ISC & Organisation for Women in Science For the Developing World (OWSD)
Panel Discussion & Film Festival
February 11 – 14:00 UTC
Panel Discussion: “Case Studies: Approaches to Storytelling in Science”
Hear from our distinguished speakers about how they use film as a medium to transmit and uplift the stories of scientists, particularly women scientists, around the world.
Film Festival:
In collaboration with the OWSD, ISC is hosting a Women in Science Film Festival, screening new films from the ISC – BBC Storyworks collaboration, Unlocking Science, as well as films from the OWSD Vision film series.
Scientific Research Council Jamaica
Virtual Series
February 11 – 19:00 UTC
On this installment of “Conversations in Science”, the council honors International Day of Women and Girls in Science by explore the theme:- The Legacy of Women in STEM: Fuelling NEXGenGirls.
The event will take place via Zoom and will also be streamed on their YouTube channel
International Astronomical Union (IAU)
Virtual Interviews and Contest
Occurs every Friday from February 11 – March 8
The IAU is hosting a series of virtual interviews with leading female astronomers that will be streamed on their YouTube channel.
In addition to their virtual interviews, they are also hosting a drawing contest for children under twelve years old, calling for drawing submissions of an imagined astronomer for the chance to win a telescope.
Autobiographical Blog Series – #ThisLittleGirlIsMe
February 11 – 28
Throughout the month of February, Global Young Academy will release several autobiographical blog post that detail the lives of women scientists around the globe.
GYW encourages all women scientists to use the hashtag, #ThisLittleGirlIsMe on Twitter to tell your story about your journey in science.
International Mathematical Union & the International Council for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
Webinar
February 16 – 15:00 UTC
The IMU and the ICIAM are partnering to host a webinar addressing the results of the Gender Gap in Science project about mathematics and applied mathematics.
International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC)
Global events – virtual and in-person
February 16
The Global Breakfast is an event that happens on a single day in February of each year with the aim to celebrate the accomplishments of Women in Science and to inspire younger generations to pursue careers in science. Women and men from all types of science organizations come together to share breakfast either virtually or in person, establishing an active network of both men and women to overcome the barriers to gender equality in science.
National Research Council of Italy – Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR)
Global Women’s Breakfast virtual event
February 16: 08:30 – 11:30 am UTC
The Global Breakfast is an event that happens on a single
The Italian commission for the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry IUPAC (NAO-CNR) organizes a virtual GWB2022 event for discussing how empowering gender and cultural diversity in chemical research. Women
from different countries, working in chemical research, who have crossed Italy on their way, will tell us their experiences. We will discuss the topic with eminent international chemists.
International Union of Geosciences (IUGS)
Virtual Interview Series
Continuous
In this interview series, the IUGS showcases IUGS activities alongside the works and experiences of numerous inspiring female geoscientists from around the world. They hope this material will inspire IUGS members, geoscientists and citizens world-wide to celebrate geosciences’ contributions to addressing global challenges.
ISC & BBC Storyworks
Multimedia Stories
Continuous
Unlocking Science is a series designed to spotlight how “with remarkable dedication and vision, scientists around the world are laying foundations to tackle major issues like climate change while creating inclusive, flourishing societies.”
A number of stories from the Unlocking Science hub feature women in science who are doing just that:
👉 Battling bias in AI: A team weeds out discrimination for an inclusive AI world.
👉 The female future of science in Africa: Join Africa’s female scientists as they challenge traditional norms.
👉 How one young woman’s big tech dreams became a reality: How an all-female STEAM camp changed this young woman’s life forever
👉 The scientists saving Malawi’s crops: One woman helping to shape the future of farming
If you plan on celebrating this day, be sure to join the discussion on twitter, using the hashtags #WomenInScience, #GirlsInScience,#February11, #EquityInScience, and #WaterUnitesUs.
An IAP, GenderInSITE, and ISC report on two global surveys on inclusion and participation of women in global science organizations.
Our Gender Equality in Science project
The project aims to increase gender equality in global science, through improved sharing and use of evidence for gender policies and programmes in scientific institutions and organizations at national, regional and international levels.
Read more about The right to participate in science
Read more about ISC supports the COP29 Declaration on Green Digital Action at first-ever Digitalisation Day
Read more about COP29: how to overcome political and financial gridlock? Scientists urge local and national strategies
