International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Theme, Significance

The International Day of Women and Girls in Science is observed every year on 11 February. It was declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015. The day highlights the important role of women and girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). It aims to promote gender equality in scientific education and careers. The observance also draws attention to the challenges faced by women in science. Encouraging women’s participation in science is essential to solve global problems like climate change, health and sustainable development. The day supports the goals of inclusive growth and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2026 Theme

• The theme of International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2026 is “Synergizing AI, Social Science, STEM and Finance: Building Inclusive Futures for Women and Girls.” The theme highlights the need to combine four key areas-Artificial Intelligence (AI), Social Science, STEM and Finance to reduce gender inequality and promote inclusive development.
• AI & STEM empower women in tech, healthcare and climate studies, ensuring equal benefits and gender balance.
• Social science designs fair policies to reach marginalised women and girls.
• Finance supports women-led start-ups and STEM participation.
• Together, these four areas close skill gaps and promote inclusive and sustainable development.

International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2026 Significance

• Equality in science is vital for human progress, but women remain under-represented in STEM due to stereotypes, lack of funding and discrimination.
• Globally, women form only one-third of researchers; in technology, they make up just 26% in data and AI and 12% in cloud computing.
• Low participation of women leads to biased technologies and weakens solutions to global challenges like climate change and public health.
• The UN promotes women in STEM through scholarships, internships and mentorship programmes to unlock full human potential.

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India’s Status

• Women’s participation in scientific research in India has increased over time. According to the Department of Science and Technology (DST), women formed 28% of participants in R&D projects in 2018–19, up from 13% in 2000–01.
• The number of women primary investigators in R&D rose more than four times, from 232 (2000-01) to 941 (2016-17).
• The share of female researchers increased from 13.9% in 2015 to 18.7% in 2018, showing gradual improvement.
• Women have played key roles in India’s space programmes. In Mangalyaan (2013), women scientists like Ritu Karidhal, Nandini Harinath and Anuradha TK contributed significantly.
• Chandrayaan-2 was led by women scientists Vanitha Muthayya (Project Director) and Ritu Karidhal (Mission Director).
• Chandrayaan-3 was also led by women, with Ritu Karidhal Shrivastava as Mission Director and Kalpana Kalahasti as Deputy Project Director.
• A CSIR Survey (2022) showed that women remain under-represented in leadership roles, with many labs having no female chief scientists.

Women made up only about 18% of scientists and 15% of technical staff in CSIR labs, highlighting the need for greater gender balance in STEM.