10 Feb 2026
EC highlights measures to counteract underrepresentation of women on International Day for Women and Girls in Science
On the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the European Commission's Research Executive Agency (REA) provides an overview of measures to empower women in science and celebrates female achievements. At the same time, the EC highlights the need to encourage and support more women and girls to get involved in research. This is necessary because while women make up 48% of doctoral graduates in the EU, they represent only one third of the total number of researchers in Europe. According to the UN, female researchers also tend to have shorter, worse-paid careers.
Despite some progress in recent years, women remain underrepresented in senior academic and decision-making positions, as well as many other fields. These disparities are driven by challenges such as unconscious bias, a lack of mentorship, and limited access to resources - barriers that continue to hinder the full participation of women in research and innovation.
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science is both a celebration and a call to action to inspire young girls and women around the world to spark their curiosity and creativity - and to reflect on how best to support their scientific aspirations.
The European Commission emphasises that it is committed to upholding gender equality as one of the core values of the EU. It has recently published a report entitled “Promoting gender equality and institutional changes through EU-funded research”, a comprehensive, in-depth analysis of a selection of 23 EU-funded projects in the light of the gender equality issue.
The EC also highlights the fact that gender equality is a priority of the ERA, with actions focused on driving institutional change in research careers at all levels. In 2022, this commitment was strengthened further, with all higher education establishments, research organisations, and public bodies from Member States and Associated Countries applying for Horizon Europe funding now required to implement a Gender Equality Plan (GEP).
The EU Award for Gender Equality Champions celebrates and recognises the outstanding results achieved by some change-driving academic and research organisations in the implementation of GEPs. To date, four award ceremonies have been held, honouring 16 champions overall.
Furthermore, strengthening women’s participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is not only a matter of equal opportunities and social justice, but also about meeting pressing societal challenges such as the green and digital transitions. According to the latest “SheFigures” report, women remain underrepresented among doctoral graduates in most narrow STEM fields. To tackle this imbalance, the EU is funding R&I projects aimed at increasing young girls’ participation in STEM activities, improving the recruitment, retention and promotion of women in science across the EU and beyond.
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