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Women are underrepresented and unsupported in their journey in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, or S.T.E.M. To help girls and young women realize their fullest talent and creativity in science, we need to break the S.T.E.M. ceiling.
With aims to address these barriers, the ‘Girls in Science 4 SDGs International Platform’ was officially launched at the UN Headquarters on 6 December 2018. Precipitated by the 2018 International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the platform was announced by HRH Dr. Nisreen El-Hashemite, Executive Director of the Royal Academy of Science International Trust, in a high-level panel chaired by the Permanent Representative of the Portugal Mission to the United Nations, H.E. Ambassador Francisco António Duarte Lopes.
The platform takes entries in six categories, education, science, technology and innovation, sustainable development goals, e-discussion, shining stars and UN observances, and was designed to:
- Bring the UN closer to the girls in science and strengthen their sense of ownership and support for the UN;
- Give every girl in science the opportunity to share her opinions about how to achieve the SDGs;
- Encourage critical thinking from a younger age; and
- Widen the horizons of science and opportunities in the eyes of girls.
In her opening remarks, the President of the 73rd Session of the General Assembly Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés emphasized the need “to use every tool in our disposal” to acknowledge the biased narratives in women’s contribution in science, to equalize access to education and opportunities in the market, and to introduce inspiring role models for girls.
Ms. Daniela Bas, Director of the Division for Inclusive Social Development at UN DESA, highlighted that leaving no one behind means leaving no one without access to technology and underscored education’s nexus to inclusive development. Ms. Bas invited girls and young women to include more women from diverse backgrounds to their platform as well as to work towards creating innovative and accessible technologies for marginalized groups.
Speakers representing the UN DPI, UN DESA, ITU, UNCTAD and the Permanent Mission of Hungary to the UN pointed that exclusion of S.T.E.M.-related industries translated to an exclusion from a high paying and growing market, and stressed the need to bridge the larger digital divide. The panel reaffirmed their commitment to gender parity, inclusion, and innovations in science for achieving the SDGs.
For more information, visit the Girls in Science 4 SDGs International Platform.
Learn more about the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
Source: UNSDN