On February 11 we celebrated the International Day of Women and Girls in Science established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 to promote the full and equal access and participation of women in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

“The fact that women are under-represented in these areas is well known and observable globally. In Italy, female students enrolled in STEM degree courses are only a third of the total number of students, with percentages that have remained unchanged at least in the last two decades. Further worrying data, not limited to the scientific field, at the end of the university course and with the progression of the career the percentage of women decreases dramatically, effectively preventing equal access to top positions, the so-called glass ceiling", comments Claudia Agnini, full professor of the Department of Geosciences.

Geosciences belong to the STEM disciplines and a recent study monitored the presence of women in geosciences in Italian universities (Agnini et al., 2020) confirming percentages of around 35% in the student population which further decrease in top academic positions.

“On the occasion of 11 February we updated the data but unfortunately the percentages are completely comparable to those we observed in 2020. In particular, the scissor diagrams constructed for Italy and for the University of Padua indicate percentages of around 35% for Bachelor's and Master's Degree students (i.e., Bs and Ms), while the percentage rises to around 50% during the Doctorate. Finally, in the different steps of career advancement (researcher, associate professor, full professor), the percentage drops until it falls to around 20%”, Prof. Agnini explains.

“As already mentioned, the problem is well known but no less worrying. The causes are essentially linked on the one hand to a series of widespread bias in our society which do not favor the choice of girls to study STEM disciplines. On the other hand, the predisposition to give up, the "male" model of the world of work and the rarity of mentoring actions prevent women from reaching top positions, but also from stimulating the younger generations. It is therefore essential to continue to bring these topics to every occasion for discussion in order to allow the cultural change necessary to achieve full gender equality”, Agnini concludes.

Throughout the week from 6 to 11 February 2023 the Department of Geosciences of the University of Padova carried out a social media campaign that aimed at inspiring and stimulating prospective young female scientist: we heard the stories of 12 researchers and PhD students of our Department who joined the initiative by sharing their beginnings, achievements, goals and advice.

Special thanks to Beatrice Baschetti, Elena Bellizia, Nicole Costa, Marta Dal Corso, Isolina Dìaz Ramos, Eloisa Di Sipio, Xiaoqin Jiao, Rosalia Lo Bue, Maria Emanuela Mascaro, Elena Mercedes Peres Monserrat, Silvia Puliero and Elena Zanola.