The persistent gender gap in STEM undermines global gender equality commitments and limits our collective ability to tackle climate change effectively.
Brianna Howell
Research Analyst, UN Women
Despite progress made to narrow gender gaps in education, women remain crucially underrepresented in STEM fields. By 2021, globally, women only accounted for 35% of STEM graduates and 31.5% of researchers — a figure that has barely increased over the past 10 years.
This persistent gender gap not only reflects a failure to reach global gender equality commitments, but it also limits our collective ability to tackle one of the greatest challenges of our time — climate change. With 2024 being the hottest year on record and the climate crisis escalating, we need an all-hands-on-deck approach. People with diverse experiences are needed to raise awareness of climate impacts and create innovative solutions to these challenges. This means including women in research and recognizing women’s knowledge in climate action.
Gender inequality
This need is amplified in light of growing evidence that climate change impacts men and women differently. Due to their unequal access to resources and their tendency to be primary caregivers, women are limited in their ability to respond and adapt to climate change. Recent estimates show that, globally, climate change may push up to 158 million more women and girls into poverty, and 236 million more women and girls into food insecurity by 2050.
As detailed in the UN Women’s report, “Feminist Climate Justice: A Framework for Action,” to address gender inequalities and climate change, systemic transformation is needed. We must start by recognizing and removing structural barriers, such as women’s unequal access to information and education, and reshaping gendered social norms and prejudices that can obstruct women’s ability to enter and advance within these careers. Perceptions of gender stereotypes in these fields have been identified in children as young as six, partially explaining why only 15% of young women choose STEM courses as compared to 35% of men.
Blazing trails
Even women scientists at the highest levels must navigate these obstacles. For example, women’s contributions to the critical Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Reports have increased significantly, from just 8% in 1990 to 33% in 2021, but women still face participation barriers. A survey of report contributors revealed that women’s engagement was seen as limited by gender biases, such as women being ignored, discredited, or patronized.
Martina Caretta, a geographer, has been a trailblazer for women’s knowledge in climate science. In 2021, she served as a lead author for the authoritative IPCC report, bringing to the fore Indigenous knowledge on how to build climate resilience in water and food systems. Her work paves the way for greater recognition of diverse women’s knowledge in shaping science and policy on climate change.
To create pathways to a more just and green future, we need to ensure that science and policy are informed by diverse expertise and experiences. This means expanding scholarship, internship, and mentorship opportunities for women in STEM fields; confronting gender stereotypes through media; and implementing non-discriminatory hiring and workplace practices, particularly in male-dominated sectors. It also means ensuring that policy processes can be influenced and informed by diverse perspectives, including the knowledge of Indigenous women that is essential for a just climate transition.
