The call for freedom from discrimination and freedom from gender stereotypes has long been advocated by the feminist movement. Over several decades, women have struggled for their right to vote, autonomy and equality before the law.
Increasingly, governments all over the world, including ours, are declaring themselves feminist, espousing these principles. Nonetheless, subtle structural imbalances against women are hard to eradicate and persist in several spheres of life. Indeed, while much has been achieved – and we celebrate that – women’s equality continues to be measured in relative terms, that is, whether the width of the gap between women and men is shrinking, remains stable or perhaps is even growing.
The theme of the 60th United Nations session of the Commission on the Status of Women will be ‘Women’s empowerment and its link to sustainable development’.
Increasingly, governments all over the world, including ours, are declaring themselves feminist
The session will be closely linked to the 2030 Development Agenda, which envisions “a world in which every woman and girl enjoys full gender equality and all legal, social and economic barriers to their empowerment will have been removed”.
One area in which women and girls around the world continue to be significantly underrepresented as well as affected by the most visible impact of the glass ceiling is the area of science, technology, engineering and math, also referred to as Stem.
In spite of the growing number of female graduates, the female-to-male graduate ratio in this area remains dismally low and it shrinks even further when one looks at the ratio for the top posts.
Gender equality can never be achieved unless policymaking addresses the sector-specific problems with the same attention provided to horizontal concerns. It is because of this that the Maltese government has teamed up with the Royal Academy of Science International Trust (Rasit) and took the initiative to propose a resolution within the General Assembly of the United Nations, raising attention to the situation of women and girls in the field of science by calling for the adoption of a dedicated international day.
The resolution was widely supported by member states and was adopted in December 2015, proclaiming February 11 as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, with its first edition taking place today.
A high-level event is being held within the building of the United Nations in New York to draw attention to the need to promote gender equality in the field of science and to actively fight stereotypes and other barriers such as the work-life imbalance that hinders women from entering and progressing in the field. This event has two main focus areas: policy imperatives for women and girls in science; and parity in science for sustainable development.
The idea is for the International Day of Women and Girls in Science to grow over the years to come, in turn raising awareness and breaking cultural, social and structural barriers that presently disadvantage and disenfranchise women and girls.
This day should also provide a platform for the promotion of positive female role models at all levels while programmes will be set up to encourage girls to pursue careers in science.
Additionally, the day should help to highlight the obstacles that prevent women from moving up the ladder in the field of science.
I augur that this International Day for Women and Girls in Science will also serve to inspire more Maltese women and girls to enter the field of science, resolute to claim their deserved space in this area and succeed at it.
Helena Dalli is Minister for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties.