Gender discrimination limits socio-economic growth, warns report

‘Gender discrimination practices truly limit the ability of many developing countries to grow and reduce poverty,’ warns a report released in October 2007 by UNESCO. ‘Much talent is being wasted as girls turn away from S&T careers and as women in S&T become discouraged by discriminatory treatment.’ The report also notes that ‘differences between girls and boys in performance at school are more linked to home and school environments than dependent on innate differences.’ It is thus hardly surprising that ‘women scientists are more likely than their male counterparts to have at least one parent who is a scientist.’ Science, Technology and Gender has been coordinated by UNESCO’s Division for Science Policy and Sustainable Development. Based on empirical research and data, the report incorporates substantive input from institutions involved in science and technology (S&T), gender studies and policy. Marking the start of an ongoing initiative, it aims to spur serious discussion and action in national and international scientific and academic communities, in order to increase women’s participation in S&T careers, enable sex-disaggregated data collection and rigorous research development, and build public awareness of gender issues. The report has been published initially in English but versions in Arabic, Chinese, Spanish and Russian are under preparation.

Read a summary of the report in English - French - Russian - Spanish - Arabic - Chinese

For details and to order a copy from UNESCO Publishing, click here.

Read the interview of Ernesto Fernández Polcuch from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, who analyses some of the report’s findings. (English - français)

Read the Editorial on The Glass Ceiling and about the difficulties statisticians encounter in measuring the place of women in science, in the April 2007 issue of UNESCO’s journal, A World of Science (English - français - español).

Read about the UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

For further information, contact the Technical Coordinator:
Mr Eduardo Martinez
S&T Studies, Strategic Planning & Evaluation
Division for Science Policy and Sustainable Development
UNESCO

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