International Day of Women and Girls in Science
On the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the UN is promoting gender-equitable access to careers in science.
Women in science: figures, developments and challenges
Worldwide, the proportion of women in science is less than 30 percent (UNESCO Germany, n.d.). Women are particularly underrepresented in the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
Although the proportion of women at all academic career levels in Germany has increased steadily in recent years, it decreases as the qualification level increases: in 2023, women were more likely to obtain a degree than men (53%) and accounted for almost half of doctoral degrees (46%). After the doctorate, however, a slump in their share can be observed, as only 37% complete a habilitation. The proportion of women at the career level of full-time professorships also continues to fall: in Germany, it was 29% in 2023, with the lowest proportion in engineering at 16% and the highest in the humanities at 43% (Federal Statistical Office, 2024). The declining proportion of women compared to men is clearly reflected in the so-called scissor diagram - also known as the "leaky pipeline effect" (CEWS, 2024).
The reasons for the low female presence in academia are still existing discrimination to which women are exposed - but men are not. This applies, for example, to family-related interruptions (parental or care periods), which become a career disadvantage, especially for women on the way to a professorship. Furthermore, less visible factors such as prejudices based on gender stereotypes and so-called "old boys' networks" also play a role (German Commission for UNESCO n.d.).
Gender equality policy and measures at universities
A continuous increase in the proportion of women at professorial level is to be achieved through legal regulations, among other things. For example, the State Equal Opportunities Act in NRW stipulates that women must be given preferential consideration in recruitment procedures in the case of equal "suitability, aptitude and professional performance" (LGG NRW § 7, Section 1). In addition, universities must define target quotas in their gender equality concepts - for example, the percentage of female professors that they want to achieve within a specified period of time. However, there is still a long way to go to achieve a balanced gender ratio in professorships: at TU Dortmund University, the proportion of female professors in W2 and W3 professorships at the beginning of 2026 is around 26%, although there are departments with a balanced gender distribution in the group of female professors, but also three departments in which the proportion of female professors is below ten percent.
Part of the gender equality work at universities is also to increase the proportion of female students in STEM subjects. To this end, TU Dortmund University offers specific projects for girls to counteract gender-stereotypical study and career choices as early as possible.
Visibility and recognition of female researchers
Every year on February 11, attention is drawn to women in science as role models. With the "For Women in Science" awards, UNESCO and the L'Oréal Foundation have been working for over two decades to make the achievements and careers of outstanding female researchers visible and to honor them (Austrian Commission for UNESCO).
An impressive insight into the world of science - as well as the adversities of a female scientific career - is provided by the documentary film Picture a Scientist (US, 2020), told from the perspective of a female biologist, a female chemist and a female geologist.
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science also aims to draw attention to the outstanding research achievements of women in science, which in the past have often been attributed to the men around them. For example, the Austrian nuclear physicist Lise Meitner made a significant contribution to the discovery of nuclear fission - but the Nobel Prize was only awarded to her colleague Otto Hahn. Science photographer Gesine Born's project "Versäumte Bilder" ("Missed Images") uses AI to give these women the (visual) appreciation and recognition that was denied to the scientists and their achievements during their lifetime (BMFTR, 2025).
Project "Versäumte Bilder - making female scientists and pioneers visible"
Gender Congress 2026
To mark UN Women and Girls in Science Day, the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia is organizing the Gender Congress 2026 and inviting higher education
institutions, interested academics and political representatives
to Essen. The Gender Congress aims to further develop strategies for gender equality and equal opportunities at universities and to discuss (higher education) policy approaches. Based on the Gender Report 2025 on North Rhine-Westphalia's universities, current higher education and gender equality policy topics will be addressed by renowned experts in keynote speeches, workshops and a panel discussion and discussed together with the congress participants.
Last updated: February 2025
Sources (in German)
- Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt (BMFTR, 2025). Gesine Born: „Versäumte Bilder – Wissenschaftlerinnen und Pionierinnen sichtbar machen“. Last accessed: 10.02.2026.
- Deutsche UNESCO-Kommission (n.d.). Frauen in der Wissenschaft. Last accessed 28.01.2025.
- Kompetenzzentrum Frauen in Wissenschaft und Forschung (CEWS, 2022). Frauen- und Männeranteile im akademischen Qualifikationsverlauf. Last accessed 28.01.2025.
- Österreichische UNESCO-Kommission (n.d.). 11. Februar: Internationaler Tag der Frauen und Mädchen in der Wissenschaft. Last accessed 28.01.2025.
- Statistisches Bundesamt (2024). 29 % Frauenanteil in der Professorenschaft 2023. Last accessed 29.01.2025.
- UN (n.d.). International Day of Women and Girls in Science, 11 February. Last accessed 28.01.2025.