In 2015, the General Assembly decided to establish an annual International Day to recognize the critical role women and girls play in science and technology. The International Day of Women and Girls in Science, celebrated on 11 February is an opportunity to promote full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls.

An adolescent girl conducts an experiment during a chemistry class in Kamulanga Secondary School in Lusaka, Zambia.
PHOTO:UNICEF Photo/UN0145554/Karin Schermbrucker

Improving health to combating climate change -- will rely on harnessing all talent. That means getting more women working in these fields. Diversity in research expands the pool of talented researchers, bringing in fresh perspectives, talent and creativity. This Day is a reminder that women and girls play a critical role in science and technology communities and that their participation should be strengthened. Both science and gender equality are vital for the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has clearly demonstrated the critical role of women researchers in different stages of the fight against COVID-19, from advancing the knowledge on the virus, to developing techniques for testing, and finally to creating the vaccine against the virus.

At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic also had a significant negative impact on women scientists, particularly affecting those at the early stages of their career, and thus contributing to widening the existing gender gap in science, and revealing the gender disparities in the scientific system, which need to be addressed by new policies, initiatives and mechanisms to support women and girls in science.

Economic Empowerment of Women and Youth

The elimination of gender inequalities and the empowerment of women and girls in all aspects of life will make a crucial contribution to the realization of the 2030 Agenda (SDG 5), serving as a catalyst to accelerate sustainable development overall.

UNCDF’s financing models are meeting the need for customized financial services and infrastructure and other services for women, and provide young people with both financial services and economic opportunities to lead productive lives.

On October 2020 Sonia Gardner was appointed by the Secretary General as UNCDF’s first Goodwill Ambassador for Gender Equality in Access to Finance.
As a female leader in the male-dominated finance industry, Ms. Gardner will help advocate for the importance of gender equality in access to finance, both in terms of increasing the numbers of female decision-makers in the finance industry and in improving the ability of female entrepreneurs, business owners and consumers to access the finance they need in Least Developed Countries.

On 11 February, we’re celebrating International Day of Women and Girls in Science and calling on everyone to smash stereotypes, and defeat discrimination that hold women and girls back in science fields.