UN-CARICOM High-Level Pledging Conference
– As delivered –
Statement by H.E. Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, President of the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly, at Third International Day of Women and Girls in Science Forum, delivered by H.E. Mr. Kai Sauer, Permanent Representative of Finland to the United Nations and Vice President of the General Assembly on behalf of the President
Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning everyone. I am delivering this statement on behalf of the President of the General Assembly, His Excellency, Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, who conveys his regrets that he could not be here, to deliver it in person, as he is currently in the Republic of Korea for the Winter Olympic.
It is a great pleasure to address the Third International Day of Women and Girls in Science Forum. I want to thank the Republic of Malta and the Royal Academy of Science International Trust for convening us around this important issue.
And, I want to make three main points today.
For my first point, I will address the myth that women and girls are not as good at science as men and boys.
If this was true, Marie Curie would not have developed the theory of radioactivity. If this was true, the world’s first computer programmer would not have been a woman called Ada Lovelace. And, if this was true, we would not continue to see examples, today, of women who are driving innovation and breaking records. One example is Tiera Guinn, who started working with NASA to get humans to Mars before she had even graduated from university.
However, even though we know that this myth is false, we must still face an unhappy truth. Which is that women and girls remain vastly underrepresented.
Which brings me to the second point of this morning: there are serious barriers facing women and girls.
These barriers have changed over time. In the past, women were, simply, shut out from science and research. They were prevented from publishing their findings. They were blocked from taking up teaching positions in universities.
The hurdles facing women today are different. They are not as tangible. But that does not mean that they do not have damaging effects.
Stereotypes. Education gaps. A lack of mentoring and guidance. Inhospitable working environments. Implicit – or sometimes, explicit – bias in recruitment.
These barriers need to be dismantled. And thankfully, we are doing that.
We have seen some exciting initiatives, such as:
- Scholarships for women software engineers.
- Social media campaigns to highlight women’s achievements in STEM.
- Women scientists featured in children’s television series.
- Or, research funding targeted at women and girls.
Today’s event will showcase even more of these best practices.
Not only that – it will also contribute to our wider efforts for Sustainable Development. And that is the third and final point I would like to make.
Because, the technology and innovation we need to achieve the SDGs are not possible without women and girls. If we want to protect the planet, and improve the lives of the people living on it, women must participate – and they must lead.
I am glad that the United Nations is working to strengthen its own record in this respect. Last month, full gender parity was achieved among top UN leadership, for the first time. What’s more, almost all of the processes linked to the General Assembly are facilitated or chaired by gender balanced teams.
But we need to do more. This International Day is another opportunity to explore how.
Please speak up. Please share your ideas. And please help to ensure that the momentum seen today continues all year round.
Thank you.