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| Photo by RF._.studio on Pexels |
by Adetayo Adetokun
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science celebrated on February 11 each year, is an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the critical role women and girls play in scientific fields and promote their full and equal access to, and participation in, science. While there has been some progress in recent years, the representation of women and girls in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) remains disproportionately low. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Science Report 2021, one in three researchers in science globally is a woman. In sub-Saharan Africa, between a mere 18 to 31 percent of science researchers are women, compared to 49 percent in Southeast Europe and the Caribbean; 44 percent in Central Asia and Latin America; and 37 percent in the Middle Eastern States.
