Designated by the United Nations as International Day of Women and Girls in Science, February 11 is an opportunity to reflect on the persistent gender gap characterising female participation in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) disciplines, with the aim of achieving full equality of opportunities for men and women in scientific careers.
Although parity in first and second level education has been achieved – with even a majority of women graduates compared to men at European level – there are still open challenges to closing the gender gap in specific fields of study. Statistics indicate that, globally, less than 40% of STEM graduates are women. The Italian trend is in line with the European and global average, though something is changing.
Indeed, according to the most recent (2022) data from the Ministry of Education and Merit , the number of female graduates in scientific, technological, engineering and mathematical subjects has increased over the last three years.
As part of its commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, and in particular Gender Equality, IBSA Italy has invested – and will continue to do so – in bridging the gender gap and in building a new, more balanced model between genders and STEM careers.