Any Woman, Anywhere: Recognizing All Women on this Upcoming #February11

As we near the annual International Day of Women and Girls in Science, you may find it peculiar that we are not featuring one specific scientist this week. However, at its core, #February11 is about bringing everyone forward. Therefore, for this week’s #WomeninScienceWednesday, we are recognizing and celebrating all women.

Issues of gender equity plagues all careers and fields, which is why we are taking today’s post to speak on how gender inequality affects us all, even men.

While #February11 is specifically focused on the critical role women and girls play in advancing science and science policies, the issue of gender equity is captured in the spotlight on this day. There is no International Day of Women and Girls in Science without the discussion of gender equity. More importantly, there is something much deeper that lies behind this conversation than just the regurgitation of statistics. We are all familiar with the UNESCO statistic about the 33% percent of global researchers that are women. We all acknowledge the problem. However, we all need to take the next big step towards raising those percentages of women. The onus is now on us to create equitable, sustainable, and versatile solutions. If we dare.?

To begin the daunting task of achieving #Agenda2030 and devising solutions, we first need to recognize the myriads of achievements accomplished by women and girls. While there are more achievements than we can count, let me highlight one exciting development within recent years.

Saudi Arabia became one of the first countries to create a council under the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development devoted to advancing women’s opportunities to participate in science research and for their voices to be heard and actively incorporated into science policymaking. The Future Women Society (FWS) was established in October 2020. Investing in the knowledge and futures of women in science is a long-term investment that lies at the crux of sustainable development.

Another step towards reaching gender equity we can all do is to acknowledge and listen to women’s stories that lie behind the statistics. It is easy to simply read a statistic and think you understand the problem. However, the problem lies much deeper than a statistic on the lack of representation of women.

Gender equity is much more than achieving a 50-50 ratio. While a step in the right direction, quotas like this can be troubling. Women should be hired and recognized for their achievements, ambition, tenacity, not solely because of their gender. Achieving gender equity to solely meet this quota diminishes women’s accomplishments and talents. There is no gender in science. Additionally, women need support in order to sustain the success in their careers. Pay gaps, lack of funding, lack of role models, lack of mentors, gender stereotypes all occlude the ability for a woman in science, or a woman in any field, to have a successful, long-term, fulfilling career.?

Simply put, there is no sustainable development without women and girls. By investing in the careers and education of countless women, we are investing in the future. A future that can only thrive if all voices are heard and incorporated into policy. We are all knowledge producers. It only serves our world a disservice if we continue to deny women the opportunity to be educated, to maintain a job, or the most grave, the opportunity to be listened to.

Let’s be prepared to craft some sustainable solutions towards gender equity and to listen to one another on this upcoming #February11. We are excited to welcome you in-person or on the livestream on UN WebTV.

“Every February 11 we celebrate the achievements of women, known and unknown, remembered and forgotten, who have forged the way for those of us in science today, and to give an opportunity for children: girls and boys, to choose role models in science.”?

- HRH Princess Nisreen El-Hashemite