Tehran – International Day for Women and Girls of Science is celebrated on February 11th each year to promote full and equal access and participation in science for women and girls.
There have been significant gender differences over the years in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields at all levels around the world. 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of International Day for Women and Girls of Science. This year, the event has been observed under the theme of “Unpacking a Stem’s Career: Her Voice in Science.”
Gender equality in science is important to building a better future for everyone, but women and girls continue to face systemic barriers and biases in pursuing scientific careers.
To bridge the gender gap in science, we will break stereotypes, promote role models that inspire girls, support women’s progress through targeted programs, and inclusive through policies and actions that promote inclusion, diversity and equity. It is necessary to promote an environment like this.
The status of Iranian women in various fields has been improved. Just as half of women lead in many fields after the Islamic Revolution.
After the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, women were given equal rights to shape the future. The Islamic Revolution provided them with the opportunity to build their clear identity, and they were very successful in doing so.
There have been widespread changes in the fields of science, education, economics, employment and existence in women’s managers. Currently, the majority of activists in a variety of fields of academia, business and management are made up of capable Iranian women.
Education as a social value for women is considered true freedom for women. The literacy rate reached 99.3% and the ratio of female to male students increased by 28%, which almost eradicated the illiteracy of women and girls.
According to the latest data, nearly 60% of all university students are women today. The proportion of women in higher education has increased nearly 21 times since the revolution.
The prominent presence of women in the education sector has also had a significant impact on the country’s job market, with women doing more work in both the public and private sectors.
The country has always emphasized the economic, cultural, social and political empowerment of women as an important component of policy decisions, laws and national planning.
Currently, more than 70 women hold vice presidents, ministers, spokesmen and other important positions in the government, with four women holding the highest management positions in the Cabinet. Environment Director Sheena Ansari and Vice President of Women and Families Zafra Bales Hazard;
Women scholars also account for 665 of the 4,818 most cited researchers in the nation, accounting for more than 13% of the total.
In past Iranian calendar years (March 2023 – March 2024), women accounted for 12.75% of the most cited researchers. With a share of 29.57%, the Ministry of Health has the most cited female researchers.
A recent report from Islamic World Science Citations (ISC) shows that a total of 177 Iranians in the fields of agricultural science, clinical medicine, biology, biochemistry, chemistry, pharmacology and toxicology, neuroscience, psychology and engineering female researchers have been recognized. , Materials science, Psychiatry/psychology, Computer Science, Physics, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Social Science, Generality, Physics, Plants, Animal Science, Immunology, etc., and more. Some have been acquired.
Additionally, 375 highly cited Iranian researchers have reported that the top 2% of the world (one year performance) in 13 subject areas: clinical medicine, biomedical, chemistry, engineering, agriculture, fisheries, forests and strategic technology. ) is one of them. Nanotechnology, etc.), Information Technology and Communication, Earth and Environmental Science, Physics and Astronomy, Public Health and Health Services, Biology, Statistics and Mathematics, Communication and Textual Research have earned the necessary points.
In Iran, women account for more than 24% of domestic inventions, compared to the global average of 17%.
Iranian women who have made great strides in manufacturing high-tech products and have grown their knowledge-based economy have conveyed the world the message that they could shine
A field with the same “technology” as other fields. They shine spectacularly at various global events featuring Iranian women’s abilities towards the world.
The proportion of female CEOs and chairs on boards of knowledge-based companies has increased significantly over the past three years. The number of female managers has almost doubled, increasing from 1,092 in 1400 (2021-2022) to 2,250 by the end of the first nine months of the current Iranian year, which began on March 20, 2024. I did.
Only 12% of entrepreneurship and startups are founded by women. Of the 27,237 individuals who are members of the board of directors of knowledge-based companies, only 5,154, account for 19% of their members, are women.
At the latest international event, four Iranian women, namely Azam Karami, Mahavash Abhiyari, Marji Ebrahimi and Fateme Hosseini, made history. They were one of the winners of the BRICS Women’s Startups Contest 2024, one of the major programs of the BRICS Entrepreneurs Forum. The contest’s international jury has considered over 1,000 applications from 30 countries.