– As delivered –
Statement by H.E. Mr. Volkan Bozkir, President of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly
11 February 2021
Our moderator,
Her Royal Highness Princess Nisreen Al-Hashemite,
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am delighted to join you on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. I welcome the overwhelming support that Member States have shown towards this initiative, since its inception in the General Assembly.
As you know gender equality is a key priority for the 75th session of the General Assembly, and I am working with a newly-established Gender Advisory Board to mainstream gender throughout all of our work, including the field of science.
We cannot allow the COVID-19 pandemic to derail our plans for equality ¨C particularly when it comes to women and girls in science. Increasing access to education, specifically science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education, for women and girls has emerged as a pathway to gender equality and as a key objective of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Excellencies,
The under-representation of girls and women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is deeply rooted in gender norms which do not value a woman¡¯s problem-solving ability or their roles in fields considered non-traditional. ?These outdated norms have no place in modern society.
In the 25 years since the world adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, there has been some progress, yet still only one in three researchers are women. We cannot allow the COVID-19 pandemic to derail our plans for equality ¨C particularly when it comes to women and girls in science. Increasing access to education, specifically science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education, for women and girls has emerged as a pathway to gender equality and as a key objective of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Yet in 2021, subjects traditionally ascribed to and dominated by boys and men, as well as digital literacy classes, are not universally available to girls. Indeed, the most marginalised girls are at a higher risk of being left behind.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, we were facing a gendered learning crisis, which has led to a skills crisis.
Now, with 300 million students still out of school due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 11 million of these girls may never return to school. We must take urgent action to get our girls back in the classroom, and to ensure that in every school, curricula must be accessible and inclusive. Governments, schools, and educators need to take steps to eliminate bias in education systems, to ensure gender-responsive curricula that encourage the learning of science in every classroom.
This extends to digital literacy. We need to ensure that girls are equipped with the skills required to succeed in a rapidly changing world. Women were left behind in the First Industrial Revolution, but this cannot happen again. It is our responsibility to ensure that girls are prepared for, and facilitated to participate in, the Fourth Industrial Resolution. This begins with bridging the gendered digital divide which relatively stands at 17% globally, with the proportion of men using the internet at 58 per cent in comparison to 48 percent of women, with women in least developed countries most affected.
To this end, I will convene a High-Level Thematic Debate on digital cooperation and connectivity to explore ¡°whole-of-society¡± approaches to end the digital divide, with a segment dedicated to the dynamics of women and girls. We need to mobilize the international community to address the growing digital divide that has deepened as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
All girls deserve the opportunity to learn and excel in science, and we need teachers to inspire and support girls in their endeavours. We must invest in the quality training of female science teachers as studies have found that teachers¡¯ pedagogical practices and attitudes toward science impact girls¡¯ participation in the classroom. This must be accessible to all, including women and girls with disabilities, to ensure that they are facilitated to contribute as agents of change.
Furthermore, efforts to prepare girls and young women to equally participate in the workforce, including in STEM fields, need to be accelerated. We need to give credit where credit is due. From the laboratory to the boardroom, Twitter to television, we must amplify the voices of female scientists.
As an International Gender Champion, I was proud that two of the three scientists in the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ General Assembly Special Session in response to the COVID-19 pandemic who spoke about their work developing vaccines, were women. Indeed, one of these women, Dr Ozlem Tureci was responsible for the science behind the COVID-19 vaccination that I myself received!
We have also seen an Afghan Girls Robotic Team design two COVID-19 ventilator prototypes utilising locally sourced materials at a time of crisis. We simply cannot quell curiosity or innovation. Indeed, the ¡°Girls in Science 4 SDGs International Platform¡± progress report highlights the transformative, leadership and advocacy abilities of girls in science all over the world. Now is the time to harness the potential of all girls because when women and girls engage in science ¨C we all benefit.
To the girls who are listening to this around the world today, know that you can do this. Believe in yourself! Throughout history many women scientists have paved the way for your success.
Now it is time for you to learn, to follow your curiosity, and to break new ground!
I wish you all the best with your studies and research. I thank you for your contribution towards creating a better world.
Thank you very much.