The Arab Women in Science Platform is a new intergenerational initiative that will be launched by UNESCO Cairo office at the request of Egyptian women scientists during the intergenerational dialogue “Paving the way for Women Leadership in Science” held in Alexandria, Egypt, in February 2023.
Empowering women to shape the future of science and technology in the Arab States
The Arab Women in Science Platform will aim to address the challenges faced by women in natural and social sciences and contribute to Open Science in the Arab region by providing an online and offline safe space for them to connect, share, and learn from each other’s experiences. It will also offer a variety of programs and services to help them advance their careers, such as mentorship, networking opportunities, and training workshops, raise awareness of gender stereotypes in science among the youth, and support new innovative gender-transformative policies and structures.
Do you want to receive information about the future launch of the Arab Women in Science Platform? Write us at: info@unescoarabsciencepodium.org
| TO KNOW MORE Arab women scientists: career challenges Culture, norms and beliefs in the Arab States support strictly defined gender roles in society, constraining both men and women to their social positions: men as breadwinners and women as reproducers. These social norms determine men’s and women’s capacities, activities and lifestyles throughout their lives and therefore can limit and constrain women’s professional careers. A gap between female science students and their integration into the workforce can thus be observed: 47.3% of Egypt’s 2019 university STEM graduates were women. In 2020, women made up only 38% of the STEM workforce. While very little data on women scientists exist in the Arab world, recent research found that reasons for them failing in entering the job market are mainly related to social norms and gender bias, the opacity of recruitment processes, and the impossibility of finding a work-life balance since unpaid household chores taking an estimated 17 hours/week after marriage. In order to find compromise, women are mainly drawn to academia, where the number of working hours is lower and schedules more flexible than in the industry. In addition, the main difficulties encountered by Egyptian women scientists in the job market are finding funding (50%), dealing with industry (35%) and obtaining training (31%). A significant gap is also witnessed between urban and rural women and the issue of sexism and sexual harassment in the workplace is still very present, with no support for women. When national contexts are linked to political issues and civil wars, which is often the case in the Middle-East and North Africa (MENA) region, national specificities must also be taken into account as they have a disproportionate impact on women’s studies and careers. The example of Sudan The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in Sudan on 15 April 2023 and has killed, injured and displaced thousands of people in Sudan. As of September 2023 5.1 million people have been displaced inside and outside Sudan. As of August 2023, 280,000 Sudanese were forced to flee to Egypt. As the majority of displaced persons, women and girls may suffer from family separation and professional disruption. This is detrimental to Sudanese women scientists’ financial means as well as the cessation of their research and other activities that benefit them and society. They are facing urgent life challenges needing specific assistance that could be provided thanks to a strong scientific network in the region, effective data collection and supportive reaction to respond to their needs. Sources: Gender Analysis and Assessment. UNSAID/EGYPT FINAL REPORT, 2020; CAPMAS, Quarterly Bulletin: Labour Force Survey, 2020; Women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) ‘Egyptian case study’, 2022; British Council Booklet, 2021; UNHCR EGYPT – EMERGENCY UPDATE, UNHCR, 5 September 2023 |