The International Science Council (ISC), the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) and the Standing Committee for Gender Equality in Science (SCGES) published an analysis using data from 136 organisations and a survey of nearly 600 scientists. The report was released on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
It found that women made up around 19% of science academy members in 2025, compared with 12% in 2015. Only one in five academies was chaired by a woman and almost half had no women as vice-presidents or co-chairs. The report called this a "very limited increase" and said there was no progress in the last five years. It also found women were 2.5 times more likely to report discrimination or harassment and had less confidence in complaint mechanisms.
Lead author Léa Nacache said regional patterns vary and that academies with the highest shares of women (30–39%) are found in different regions, notably parts of Latin America and Asia and the Pacific. The report recommends that gender equality be included in governance, budgets and strategy, with clear plans and accountability. Only around two thirds of academies have gender-related policy documents, just over half have run initiatives, and fewer than 10% have a dedicated budget.
The analysis also cites related research: a separate study of more than 100 female scientists in Mexico, Argentina, Colombia and Peru described networks that sustain harassment, and a PLOS Biology study found papers by women had review times up to 15% longer.
Difficult words
- analysis — detailed study of data or facts
- survey — collection of questions answered by many people
- academy — organization for scientists or scholarsscience academy members, academies
- chair — to lead a meeting or an organizationchaired
- discrimination — unfair treatment of people because of differences
- harassment — behaviour that upsets or threatens someone repeatedly
- governance — the way an organization is directed and managed
- accountability — responsibility for actions and their results
- budget — plan for how money will be spent
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think many academies still have few women in leadership roles despite higher membership numbers?
- What actions could an academy take to include gender equality in its governance and budgets?
- Do you think a dedicated budget for gender equality is important? Why or why not?
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