On Tuesday 11 February, International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the European Commission published its annual ‘She Figures’ report, which provides an overview of gender parity in research and innovation for the year 2024.
According to the document, despite the progress made, structural inequalities persist, hindering competitiveness and scientific excellence within the European Union.
While parity has been achieved among doctoral graduates, with 48% of them women, there are still major discrepancies between disciplines.
Women remain under-represented in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), with only 21.4% of doctoral students in information and communication technologies (ICT).
Women account for only 9% of inventors in Europe, and 98% of projects funded by the EU do not include a gender dimension. What’s more, women make up only 34% of researchers in the EU, and only 22% in the private sector.
Furthermore, while their progress appears to be faster than that of men, they occupy less than a third of high-level academic posts and only 26% of management posts in research institutions.
With Horizon Europe, its Research and innovation Framework Programme, the EU aims to impose a gender equality plan on beneficiaries, with a target of 50% women in decision-making bodies, but recognises that efforts need to be stepped up to ensure inclusive innovation.
Read the report: https://aeur.eu/f/fg7 (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)