Empowering Women and Girls in Science: Not Just One Day, But Every Day

Every February 11, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (IDWGS) shines a spotlight on the contributions of women in STEM. It’s a day of recognition, but it should also be a day of reckoning — because despite decades of progress, persistent gender gaps and systemic barriers continue to hold back countless talented women from reaching their full potential in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

And just as progress was starting to gain momentum, an unsettling new threat is emerging — one that could undo years of work toward equity in STEM.

But we will get to that in a moment. First, let’s look at where we stand today.

Breaking the Bias in STEM

The history of science is filled with pioneering women whose contributions were often overlooked or erased. Ada Lovelace’s foundational work in computer programming, Marie Curie’s groundbreaking research on radioactivity, Rosalind Franklin’s role in discovering the structure of DNA, Katherine Johnson’s indispensable calculations for NASA, and countless other breakthroughs led by women remind us that women have always been at the forefront of scientific progress — even when institutions have failed to acknowledge them.

Yet, even today, despite the rising female participation in higher education and the overall labor force, when it comes to STEM education, the picture remains bleak.

• Women make up just 28% of the STEM workforce worldwide (UNESCO, 2023).
• Women hold only 22% of AI-related jobs globally, a field rapidly shaping our future (World Economic Forum, 2022).
• Women earn 82 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts in STEM (Pew Research Center, 2023).
• Women earn 41% of undergraduate degrees in mathematics in the U.S., but their representation drops sharply at the PhD and faculty levels (Association for Women in Mathematics).
• Women account for only 28% of engineering graduates and 40% of graduates in computer science and informatics. (United Nations, 2025)

And here’s the clincher: Even when they managed to cling onto their choices, they struggle to make it to the top. Women hold less than 20% of senior STEM positions worldwide, according to the World Economic Forum.

The ‘Leaky Pipeline’ Is Still Broken

The common refrain that STEM is a “meritocracy” is misleading. The idea that talent alone determines success ignores the systemic barriers that women — and particularly women of color — face in STEM fields.

For years, the problem has been framed as a “leaky pipeline” — suggesting that women lose interest in STEM at different career stages. But the truth is women aren’t just leaving STEM — they are being pushed out.

Let’s look at some more statistics:

• Over 50% of women in STEM report experiencing gender discrimination or bias in their careers (Pew Research, 2023; United Nations, 2025).
• Women-led research teams receive less than 70% of the funding granted to male-led teams — even when the proposals are ranked equally (Nature, 2024).
• A staggering 43% of women in STEM leave the workforce after having children, compared to just 23% of men (American Association of University Women, 2023).

This is not a pipeline problem. It’s a retention problem.

The Growing Challenge: Silencing the Problem Won’t Make It Disappear

Now, a troubling new policy threatens to exacerbate these issues further. The U.S. government has issued a list of forbidden words in federally funded research proposals, including “women,” “bias,” “ethnicity,” and “disability.”

This is more than a bureaucratic change – it’s an attempt to erase inequality from the conversation entirely. Reports indicate that this policy is already jeopardizing funding for institutions researching gender disparities in STEM.

Without the ability to identify and study these challenges, how can we hope to address them?

If we don’t collect data, the problem doesn’t officially exist. The “Leaky Pipeline” isn’t leaky at all if we refuse to acknowledge it.

This isn’t about DEI; it’s about removing accountability.

The truth is empowering women in STEM has never been about diversity quotas or preferential treatment. It is about ensuring women receive the recognition and opportunities they deserve and removing systemic bias and barriers that have kept them from rising to leadership.

But oh — apparently, those words “systemic”, barriers” and “bias” — are also on the banned list!

A Future at Risk

Who benefits from silencing research on discrimination in STEM? Who gains from women being denied opportunities to advance?

Clearly no one. These policies do not just harm women — they harm progress, innovation, and society as a whole.

Because the cost of these policies is not just about women — lost careers, or closing the gender pay gap, or strengthening women’s economic security. This is about societal progress as whole.

This is about expanding the talent pool and driving innovation in scientific and technological fields as these fields are currently missing out on the full potential of the global female workforce.

Beyond individual benefits, there is also significant global importance. The United Nations emphasizes that gender equality is a critical factor in addressing climate change and disaster risk reduction — greatest challenges the planet is facing. It is largely acknowledged that women, when given equal opportunities, can play a pivotal role in driving climate adaptation and mitigation efforts within their communities.

But, of course, terms like “inclusivity” and “diversity” are also on the banned list, and climate-related issues now facing a similar purge in the US!

Beyond One Day: A Year-Round Movement

That’s why our voices must be louder than ever. Celebrating women in STEM for just one day is not enough — not when the barriers remain so entrenched, and the progress made is now under attack. Efforts to silence conversations about inequality and dismantle pathways to fairness threaten to undo decades of hard-won gains.

Because here’s the truth:

• We don’t just need more women to work in STEM. We need STEM to work for women.
• We don’t just need to inspire young girls. We need to dismantle barriers for women already in the field.
• We don’t just need companies to “celebrate diversity.” We need them to change the way they hire, promote, and pay women.

The second sentence of the UN page on IDWGS 2025 states: “Gender equality in science is crucial for building a better future for all, yet women and girls continue to face systemic barriers and biases in pursuing scientific careers.”

A simple sentence of 27 words. And yet, under the U.S. government’s restrictive policy, six of those words — gender, equality, women, systemic, barriers, and biases — would likely be flagged.

Imagine submitting this statement in a research proposal and watching it be scrutinized, not because it lacks merit, but because it dares to name the truth.

George Orwell once wrote, “The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it.”

That’s why this moment demands action, not symbolism. It demands louder voices to call out the injustices and a collective push for structural changes that will truly empower women in STEM.

Not just today, but every day!