“Where are the Sri Lankan Female Scientists?” A Case of Democratizing Science
- - on 07/11/2014
In recent decades, many researchers, education specialists and policy advocates have paid increasing attention to the issue of gender bias in science. While several successful attempts have been made to increase female participation in science, a dearth of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields still remains around the world. A 2013 UNESCO study found that only 30% of the world’s researchers are women. According to this study, just one in five countries has achieved gender parity, where 45% to 55% of researchers are women. Around the world, there are stark differences in female participation in science. For instance, in Bolivia, women account for 63% of researchers, compared to France with a rate of 26% and Ethiopia at 8%. In South and West Asia, the average percentage of female scientists lag behind at 20%, ranging from 8% in Nepal to 37% in Sri Lanka.
