Elsevier, a global leader in scientific information and analytics, has unveiled its latest report, "Progress Towards Gender Equality in Research & Innovation – 2024 Review," offering a comprehensive analysis of gender equality in research. Spanning two decades, the report highlights significant progress while underscoring persistent challenges facing women in research and innovation.
According to the report, women now constitute 41% of researchers globally, a significant increase from 28% in 2001. However, the journey towards full gender equality remains fraught with challenges. Notably, fields like mathematics, engineering, and computer science show slow progress, with parity with men not expected until 2052 at the current rate. Despite an increase in grant funding for women—from 29% in 2009 to 37% in 2022—women's involvement in patent applications, a key indicator of research translation into innovation, lags considerably.
The study reveals stark differences in women's participation in research across various regions and disciplines:
• Geographical Variation: Countries like Portugal, Spain, Italy, Argentina, and Brazil boast nearly equal representation of women in research. In contrast, countries such as Japan (22%), India (33%), and Egypt (30%) show significantly lower participation rates.
• Field-Specific Differences: Women dominate in Health Sciences but represent only 33% of researchers in physical sciences.
Women researchers are leading in areas crucial to addressing global challenges, particularly those related to the UN SDGs. They make up the majority in disciplines focused on education (SDG 4), gender equality (SDG 5), reducing inequalities (SDG 10), and peace and justice (SDG 16). Women are also more engaged in multidisciplinary research, which is essential for solving complex global issues.
Further, the report highlights that women's research is more likely to be cited in policy documents and media, indicating a higher societal impact compared to their male counterparts.
The report offers five key recommendations to drive further progress towards gender equality in research and innovation:
• Accelerate Gender Equality Commitments: Push for faster implementation of gender equality measures in research.
• Retain Early-Career Women: Focus on retaining women in early-career stages through to mid and advanced career levels.
• Incentivize Full Value Chain Participation: Develop structures to ensure women are equally involved in all stages of research and innovation, including patenting.
• Broaden Research Effectiveness Metrics: Use a wide range of indicators, including societal and policy impact, to measure research effectiveness.
• Monitor and Report Progress: Continuously collect and report data on inclusion and diversity to identify gaps and drive accountability.
As the 2030 deadline for the UN SDGs approaches, the insights from Elsevier's report underscore the critical role of women in the global research ecosystem. Academic leaders, funders, and policymakers are urged to take decisive, data-driven actions to foster a more inclusive and effective research and innovation environment.
In an era where research is pivotal to addressing the world's most pressing challenges, achieving gender equality in research is not just a moral imperative but a necessity for global progress.
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