International Day of Women and Girls in STEM: why this day matters
The aim of the International Day of Women and Girls in STEM is to promote gender equality within all levels of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers. Women and girls continue to face barriers within scientific careers despite progress in recent decades. A gender gap has persisted within STEM and women continue to be underrepresented, making continued promotion paramount to closing the gender gap.
The origins and significance of the International Day of Women and Girls in STEM
The United Nations launched this initiative in 2015 to promote gender equality in STEM, an opportunity to support, promote and include women and girls in order for them to receive full and equal access to careers in science. The initiative is celebrated in Italy as part of the National Week of Scientific, Technological, Engineering and Mathematical Disciplines, which promotes awareness within those fields.
By celebrating this day, 2 of the UN’s Sustainable Development goals are being fomented:
- SDG 5 (Gender Equality), which seeks to achieve gender equality in the workplace by empowering women;
- SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), which focuses on promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization by increasing fairer job opportunities for women.
Historical challenges face by women in STEM
Women have faced a unique set of challenges when pursuing a STEM career over the generations. These challenges start at a young age, when stereotypes about women’s capabilities arise and confidence in their abilities are undermined.
One of the main challenges that have been faced by women in STEM is the limited access to education, with a culture of gender biases and stereotypes within STEM education and careers being prevalent. Women have often faced discriminatory hiring practices and lacked female role models in scientific and technological fields. Not to mention other important setbacks including a pay gap, a lack of access to leadership roles and professional resources 1.
The Gender Gap in STEM today: key challenges
Women remain underrepresented in many STEM fields, particularly in engineering and technology sectors. Only 12% of members of national science academies are women, highlighting significant underrepresentation in scientific leadership positions1. Women are more likely than men to leave STEM majors, even when performing well academically as well as there being lower enrolment rates of girls in STEM programs. Women are more likely to leave STEM careers due to workplace culture and biases as well as there being a pay gap between their male counterparts.
Notable progress: a brighter future ahead
There has been notable progress over the past decade as the number of women in STEM occupations has doubled to over a million, now accounting for 29% of the STEM workforce2. There have also been educational advancements with women constituting 31% of those entering STEM programs, compared to over 75% in education, health, and welfare fields3 in OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries).
Here is a data-driven infographic, which captures the trends and challenges still facing women and girls within STEM industries to this day.
At Angelini Pharma, we are committed to fostering inclusivity in STEM by supporting women to advance within their careers. 50% of Angelini Pharma's workforce is female, while and 55% of managers are women. These figures highlight the company’s efforts in fostering an environment of inclusion and advancement for women at all levels in the company. Angelini Pharma fully supports the professional growth of women in STEM and has achieved the UNI/PdR 125:2022 Gender Equality Certification.
Looking ahead: Women leading the future of STEM at Angelini Pharma
The road to full gender equality in STEM is still long, but progress continues to be made. At Angelini Pharma, we recognize that fostering an inclusive and diverse environment is key to driving scientific innovation. Women play a fundamental role in advancing research and development (R&D), bringing new perspectives that contribute to groundbreaking discoveries and solutions in the pharmaceutical industry.
Our commitment to inclusivity in science is also reflected in the composition of our Global Research & Development team, which includes 168 members, 71% of whom are women, with diverse technical and cultural backgrounds and the skills needed for the various stages of pharmaceutical product development. It’s important to highlight that 4 out of 5 executives in our Global R&D leadership team are women.
The future of R&D is shaped by collaboration, inclusivity, and equal opportunities. Supporting women in STEM careers means enabling them to thrive in leadership roles, drive innovation, and shape the next generation of scientific breakthroughs.
As we celebrate the 10th International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we acknowledge the incredible contributions of women scientists and leaders at Angelini Pharma who are at the forefront of drug discovery and development.
“At Angelini Pharma, we believe that a more inclusive scientific community leads to better innovation, stronger collaboration, and ultimately, better health solutions for all. Celebrating the 10th International Day of Women and Girls in Science, I am extremely proud of all the women scientists and leaders advancing drug discovery and development projects at Angelini Pharma R&D.”
Rafal Kaminski - Chief Scientific Officer at Angelini Pharma
1https://www.un.org/en/observances/women-and-girls-in-science-day