On February 11th of every year, the world celebrates the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. In 2023, the celebration highlights the role of women and girls in science in Sustainable Development Goals to contribute to building a more prosperous future for humanity through gender equality in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, in which girls and women are still underrepresented.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) seizes this opportunity to renew its call for concerted efforts to enhance the participation of girls and women in science, highlight their contributions to the development of these fields throughout history, and stress the need to provide opportunities for women and girls to participate in developing science, technology, innovation and education, and combat gender discrimination, which prevents the participation of women and girls in several scientific disciplines all over the world.

The International Day of Women and Girls in Science is celebrated this year under the slogan: “Innovate. Demonstrate. Elevate. Advance. Sustain. (I.D.E.A.S.): Bringing Everyone Forward for Sustainable and Equitable Development.” ICESCO reaffirms that it attaches great importance to gender equality and women and girls capacity-building, especially in the fields of science and technology, through several initiatives and programs to enhance the integration of female experts and students in the field of innovation, scientific research, entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, data science, and smart and sustainable cities. In addition, to hold an international conference on women and university leadership, in partnership with Princess Nourah Bint Abdul Rahman University, to support international efforts in the field of women’s leadership in higher education.

Seeking to further support its Member States’ efforts to integrate women and girls in science, focus on building women’s entrepreneurial capacities, provide girls and women with professional and social skills, and achieve a tangible quantum leap, ICESCO calls for:
• Building capacities and achieving equal opportunities for men and women in the fields of science;
• Intensifying the efforts of Member States, international organizations, universities and the private sector to invest in vocational education and training programs, promote gender equality in the workplace, and support women researchers and students;
• Emphasizing the important role of women and girls in science as a main focus for positive change towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals;
• Issuing research and studies to raise awareness of the seriousness of gender-based discrimination;
• Celebrating the achievements of women scholars of the Islamic world and their valuable contributions to societies.