In the days of women scientists, the numbers

Women are relegated to almost all existing professions and it is men who occupy most positions of power in the world. Science is far from being an exception, but the queen of the rule: in poses, Only 28% of researchers in the world are women.

From this great imbalance, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly proclaimed February 11, International Day of Women and Girls in Scienceto ensure their full and equal access to and participation in this important academic world.

In our country, according to UNESCO's SAGA project (STEM and Gender Advancement), Argentine women lead 26.7% fewer research and development projects than men and they ask for and receive half of the funding compared to their male counterparts. But not only that, besides they publish 7% less in magazines with higher impact visibility and limited access to leadership positions in the research career.

These figures mark the invisible but clear "Glbad ceiling" many women stop discrimination and demotivation to enter or stay in the world of science. Percentage, the female presence in these areas is all the lower as the level of education increases. Men's careers are always on the rise, unlike women, who record losses every time, for example, they have children.

according to Agostina Mileo, editor of the science section and coordinator of # MenstruAcción en Women's economy, a study by Lin Bian, published in Science in 2017, identifies that girls stop badociating intelligence with their own gender between 5 and 6 years and this socialization is essential when it is a question of demotivating a genre so that it is the other who advances on science.

"Creating inclusive clbadrooms and jobs that value the opinions of women is also essential," said Mileo.

While There are 20,480 women and 13,484 men doing research, of which only 10.5% are authorities of science and technology organizations.

Unsurprisingly, the study also indicates that areas with The largest presence of women are medical and health sciences, humanities and the arts and social sciences. in the last place are engineering and technologies.

These figures are worrying, especially in times of economic crisis and budget cuts, where investment in science and technology is suffering a sharp deterioration.

What can educational institutions do to improve the integration of women into scientific careers? According to Mileo, "In 2018, Microsoft released the results of a study conducted with KRC Research in which 6,000 American women aged 10 to 30 were interviewed and research found that reasons include peer pressure, lack of ambitious role models, lack of support from parents and teachers, and a misperception of the reality of this type of career. "

"Girls who are encouraged by their home environment are twice as likely to stay in these careers. It is also essential to create inclusive clbades and jobs that value women's views. ", it ends.

UNESCO, for its part, baderts that the aim is to improve the participation, completion and continuation of girls and women in careers and studies related to scientific and technological careers, to reduce gender disparities in these occupations. In addition, strengthen the capacity of countries to provide education on gender issues, including teacher training, pedagogical content and pedagogy, and raise awareness of the importance of teaching hard science to students. girls and women.