Academies of science, medicine and engineering, along with international scientific unions, play an important role in shaping scientific agendas, recognizing scientific excellence, and advising policy-makers. In doing so, they influence whose expertise is visible and whose voices are heard in science. Persistent gender gaps within these organizations – relative to the share of women in the scientific workforce – raise questions about whether women scientists can participate, lead, and be recognized on equal terms.
Link to the report Towards gender equality in scientific organizations: assessment and recommendations, black and white version of the report here.
This report, entitled Towards gender equality in scientific organizations: assessment and recommendations, presents the most comprehensive global assessment to date of gender equality in scientific organizations. It reports the findings of a 2025 global study conducted jointly by the International Science Council (ISC), the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), and the Standing Committee for Gender Equality in Science (SCGES).
The analysis draws on institutional data from 136 organizations, survey responses from nearly 600 scientists, and a dozen interviews with representatives of scientific organizations. Together, these sources support a multi-level assessment of women’s representation, participation, leadership, and recognition, combining structural analysis with lived experience.
Building on global online surveys carried out in 2015 and 2020, the study provides a ten-year perspective on progress and persistent gaps. It identifies structural barriers to gender equality and highlights areas where institutional policies and practices have contributed to measurable change.
The Standing Committee for Gender Equality in Science has a page on Linkedin here.