Women in Science 2011

8/12/2019 Women in Science 2011

1/3

This fact sheet presents the latest UIS S&T data available as of July 2011.

The gender gap in science

Women and men tend to take different career paths and the research field is noexception. Overall, women account for a minority of the worlds researchers.

Despite the growing demand for cross nationally comparable statistics on women in

science, national data and their use in policymaking often remain limited. This documentpresents global and regional profiles pinpointing where women thrive in this sector andwhere they are under-represented.

The global map (see Figure 1)depicts the number of female researchers as a share ofthe worldwide total. Researchers are defined as professionals engaged in theconception or creation of new knowledge, products, processes, methods and systems,as well as in the management of these projects (Frascati Manual, 2002).

Figure 1. The gender gap in science

Women as a share of total researchers, 2009 or latest available year

0%30%

30.1%45%

45.1%55%

55.1%70%

Data not available

70.1%100%

0%30%

30.1%45%

45.1%55%

55.1%70%

Data not available

70.1%100%

0%30%

30.1%45%

45.1%55%

55.1%70%

Data not available

70.1%100%

0%30%

30.1%45%

45.1%55%

55.1%70%

Data not available

70.1%100%

Note: Data in this map are based on HC, except for Congo and India (based on FTE).Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, July 2011.

WOMEN IN SCIENCE

UIS

FactShee

t,August2011,

No.

14


2/3

UIS/FS/2011/14 2

The vast majority of data are presented in headcounts (HC), which are the total numberof persons employed in R&D. This includes staff employed both full-time and part-time.The regional averages (based on available data only) for 2009 are:

45.2% for Latin America and the Caribbean;

34.0% for Europe;

34.5% for Africa;

18.9% for Asia;

39.2% for Oceania; and

Unfortunately, there is no regional average available for North America due to alack of data.

Figures 2, 3 and 4 illustrate women researchers as a percentage of the total number.Based on headcount data, these figures include part-time and full-time researchers.

Figure 2. A breakdown of female researchers in the Americas

Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers,2009 or latest available year

54.5%

52.3%

51.8%

51.3%

48.0%

46.7%

46.6%

44.0%

42.6%

42.5%

41.1%

39.6%

38.2%

35.2%

33.3%

31.6%

31.5%

30.0%

26.5%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Venezuela

Uruguay-1

Paraguay-1

Argentina-1

Brazil-2

Trinidad/Tobago-1

Cuba

Ecuador-1

CostaRica-1

Nicaragua-7

Panama-5

Bolivia-8

Colombia-1

ElSalvador

SaintLucia-10

Mexico-6

Guatemala-1

Chile-5

Honduras-6


3/3

UIS/FS/2011/14 3

Figure 3. A breakdown of female researchers in Europe

Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers, 2009 or latest available year

54.7%

51.4%

51.4%

50.0%

47.4%

47.3%

47.0%

45.5%

44.8%

44.8%

44.3%

43.0%

42.8%

42.5%

41.9%

41.7%

41.3%

39.5%

37.8%

37.5%

36.8%

36.4%

36.3%

35.1%

35.1%

33.9%

33.4%

33.2%

33.0%

32.3%

31.1%

30.7%

30.2%

30.2%

28.9%

27.9%

27.4%

26.4%

24.1%

23.2%

23.0%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Latvia-1

Lithuania-1

T

FYRMacedonia-1

Monaco-4

Serbia

Rep.ofMoldova

Bulgaria-1

Croatia-1

Ukraine

Romania-1

Albania-1

Portugal-1

Belarus

Slovakia

RussianFed.

Estonia-1

Montenegro-2

Poland-1

Iceland-1

Spain-1

U

nitedKingdom-

2

Greece-4

Turkey

Sweden-2

Slovenia-1

Norway-1

Cyprus-1

Italy-1

Hungary-1

Ireland-1

Belgium-2

Finland-1

Denmark-2

Switzerland-1

CzechRepublic

Malta-1

France-1

Austria-2

Luxembourg-2

Germany-2

Netherlands-2

Figure 4. A breakdown of female researchers in Africa, Asia and the Pacific

Female researchers as a percentage of total researchers, 2009 or latest available year

52.3%

47.4%

4

1.5%

4

1.0%

40.4%

40.3%

40.0%

36.2

%

35.7

%

34.8%

33.9%

33.3%

30.8%

30.7%

27.6%

24.8%

24.0%

23.3%

23.2%

23.1%

22.4%

21.8%

21.8%

20.3%

20.0%

19.9%

17.9%

17.8%

16.5%

12.8%

12.0%

10.6%

7.4%

5.8%

85.5%

52.7%

52.4%

52.3%

51.2%

48.5%

48.1%

45.7%

43.4%

42.8%

4

0.6%

39.9%

38

.8%

37.7%

37.1%

32.2%

31.2%

30.6%

28.0%

27.0%

26.6%

23.0%

22.5%

20.7%

18.8%

15.6%

15.0%

14.8%

14.0%

13.0%

1.4%

39

.3%

15.8%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

CapeVerde-7

Tunisia-1

C.AfricanRep.-2

Lesotho

Uganda

SouthAfrica-2

Sudan-4

Egypt-2

Seychelles-4

Algeria-4

Madagascar

Mozambique-2

Botswana-4

Zambia-1

Morocco-1

Libya

Senegal-1

Nigeria-2

Malawi-2

BurkinaFaso+1

Gabon

Rwanda

Cameroon-1

Tanzania-2

Gambia-1

Mauritius-12

Ghana-2

Kenya-2

Cted'Ivoire-4

Congo*-9

Togo-2

Mali-2

Ethiopia-2

Guinea-9

Myanmar-7

Georgia-4

Azerbaijan

Philippines-2

Thailand-2

Kazakhstan

Mongolia

Armenia

Kyrgyzstan

VietNam-7

Brunei-5

SriLanka-1

Tajikistan-3

Malaysia-3

Kuwait

China,Macao

Iraq

Indonesia-4

Singapore-1

Pakistan

Iran-1

Laos-7

Jordan-1

Cambodia-7

Palestine

Rep.ofKorea-1

Nepal-7

India*-4

Bangladesh-12

Japan-1

SaudiArabia

NewZealand-8

Nauru-6

Note: +1 = 2010, -1 = 2008, -2 = 2007, -3 = 2006, -4 = 2005, -5 = 2004, -6 = 2003, -7 = 2002, -8 = 2001,-9 = 2000, -10 = 1999, -12 = 1997.* = Based on FTE data.

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, July 2011.

Abbreviations:FTE Full-time equivalentsHC Headcounts

For more information, please consult the UIS website at www.uis.unesco.orgto access the database and subscribe to an email alert service concerning

the Institutes latest publications and data releases.

Documents

Women in Science 2011