Persistent gender stereotypes are standing in the way of inspiring a new generation of women in science

Global challenges like climate change need the input of a broad church of thought – we desperately need to debunk these stereotypes at an early age, writes Marja Makarow

Many girls still see science and technology as the domain of boys (Getty/iStock)

Tuesday marks the UN International Day of Women and Girls in Science, an annual effort in recognition of the critical role women play in science and technology.

Some of the most groundbreaking inventions and scientific breakthroughs of recent times were invented by women. Take the long-cycle battery powering the International Space Station, for example, or stem-cell isolation which has led to huge strides in understanding the blood systems of cancer patients and the hope of finding a cure.

But despite history being full of pioneering women creating such lightbulb moments, gender inequalities are still rife in the sciences. According to Unesco, less than 30 per cent of the world’s researchers are women. In the US, despite women earning more degrees than men overall, they only account for 35 per cent of undergraduate degrees issued in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics ​(Stem) fields, research for the Brookings Institute found. And in the UK, although more women are now working in Stem fields, they still only make up 26 per cent of those in core Stem occupations.