二十国集团：教科文组织呼吁加强科学领域的性别平等
联合国教科文组织（UNESCO）与二十国集团（G20）合作编写的一份新报告显示，妇女在科学研究和专业领域的代表性长期不足。教科文组织呼吁各国尽快采取有力措施，加强这些领域的性别平等。
一名女性科学家在采集水体样本 © Shutterstock
在二十国集团国家中，从事科学、技术、工程和数学工作的女性比例稳定在 22%。这种状况削弱了我们的集体创新能力，也削弱了我们应对气候变化和数字化转型等当代紧迫挑战的能力。在巴西的推动下，教科文组织编写了一份报告，强调了这一情况，并建议采取一系列行动，最终实现性别平等的目标。
—— 奥德蕾·阿祖莱
联合国教科文组织总干事
在巴西担任二十国集团主席国期间，妇女赋权工作组举行了首次会议。在该工作组的框架内，教科文组织运用其在教育和科学领域的宗旨和专门知识，向二十国集团成员发送了一份题为《改变等式》（非正式译法）的报告，全面概述了妇女在科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）领域的现状。
报告显示，15 年来，在二十国集团国家以及世界许多其他地区，从事 STEM 职业的女性比例仅略有增加（2021 年为 22%，2005 年为 19%）。报告还指出，当妇女在这些领域工作时，她们面临的薪酬差距可能相当大，职业晋升机会也很有限。
在有数据可查的 10 个二十国集团国家中，从事 STEM 领域工作的女性的平均工资最多只有男性的 88%，有 4 个国家甚至不到 75%。科研补助金是许多研究人员的重要经济来源，然而在 2022 年，在包括 10 个 G20 成员国在内的 13 个样本国家中，女性仅占补助金获得者的 37%。
性别不平等在学校里已经显而易见。由于长期存在的性别偏见和歧视，在二十国集团国家中，女性仅占 STEM 专业大学毕业生的 35%，尽管她们的学习成绩与男性相当或更好。这一比例在信息和通信技术专业下降到 29%，在工程、制造和建筑专业仅为 26%。此外，超过 40% 学习 STEM 学科的女性表示，她们曾是性别歧视行为的受害者。
为了应对这种情况，教科文组织呼吁二十国集团各国采取有利于性别平等的整合政策，不仅要培养女孩和妇女在STEM领域求学的愿望，还要确保年轻女毕业生享有公平、公正的工作条件。
这意味着要消除教材中的性别偏见，提供对性别问题有敏感认识的职业建议，并制定支持性政策，使妇女能够不受惩罚地兼顾工作和家庭生活，同时确保她们的工作得到认可和公平报酬。
下载报告《改变等式：确保女性在科学、技术、工程和数学领域的未来》
https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000391384
G20: UNESCO calls for greater gender equality in science
In the G20 countries, the proportion of women working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics is plateauing at 22%. This situation undermines our collective ability to innovate and respond to the pressing challenges of our time, such as climate change and digital transformation. At Brazil's instigation, UNESCO has produced a report highlighting this situation and recommending a series of actions to finally move towards gender equality.
—— Audrey Azoulay,
UNESCO Director-General
Within the framework of the Women's Empowerment Working Group, which met for the first time during the Brazilian Presidency of the G20, and drawing on its mandate and expertise in the fields of education and science, UNESCO has sent G20 members the report “Changing the Equation”, a comprehensive overview of the presence of women in STEM fields.
The report shows that the proportion of women working in STEM occupations has increased only slightly over fifteen years in G20 countries (22% in 2021, compared with 19% in 2005)as well as in many other regions of the world. The report also indicated when they do work in these fields, women face pay gaps that can be considerable, as well as limited opportunities for career advancement.
In the ten G20 countries for which data is available, the average salary of women working in STEM fields is at most 88% of that earned by men - in four countries it's even less than 75%. Scientific grants are a key financial resource for many researchers, yet in 2022 women accounted for just 37% of recipients in a sample of thirteen countries, including ten G20 members.
Gender inequalities are already apparent at school. Due to persistent gender bias and discrimination, women account for just 35% of STEM university graduates in G20 countries, even though they perform as well or better than men in terms of academic results. This proportion drops to 29% in information and communication technologies, and just 26% in engineering, manufacturing and construction. Additionally, over 40% of women studying STEM subjects say they have been victims of sexist behavior.
To address this situation, UNESCO calls on G20 countries to adopt cross-cutting policies in favor of gender equality, not only by developing the aspirations of girls and women to pursue studies in STEM fields, but also by ensuring fair and equitable working conditions for young female graduates.
This means combating gender bias in teaching materials, providing gender-sensitive career advice, and creating supportive policies that enable women to reconcile work and family life without penalty, while ensuring that their work is recognized and compensated fairly.
Download the report "Changing the equation : securing STEM futures for women":
https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000391384
