U.N. leaders decry gender gap in STEM fields on Int'l Day of Women and Girls in Science

Feb. 11 (UPI) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and other U.N. leaders on Friday highlighted a gender gap in science, math, engineering and technology fields on International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

The U.N. chief emphasized that just one in three researchers in science and engineering are women.

"Structural and societal barriers prevent women and girls from entering and advancing in science," he said in a statement. "This inequality is depriving our world of enormous untapped talent and innovation. We need women's perspectives to make sure science and technology work for everyone."

Guterres said that action is needed to address the gender gap, including policies that "fill classrooms" with girls studying STEM fields.

"There is a direct connection between low levels of women working in [artificial intelligence], and absurd gender-biased algorithms that treat men as standard and women as an exception," he added.

"I taught engineering. I know from personal experience that young women and men are equally capable and equally fascinated by science, brimming with ideas, and ready to carry our world forward."

In a joint message, other top U.N. officials -- including UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay and U.N. Women Executive Director Sima Bahous -- emphasized that studies have shown that women are still under-represented among senior scientists in academia, receive less research funding and are less likely to be promoted.

"We must put the principle of equality into action so that science works for women, because it works against them all too often," they said in a statement.

"Science derives from the universal curiosity that makes us human, asking the questions that are common to us all. We urgently need it to build more inclusive, transformative and accountable science and technology ecosystems that are free of biases and discrimination."