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The pursuit of gender equality in science, which includes breaking the glass ceiling in elevation to leadership positions, is not a distant aspiration; rather, it stands well within our reach. To attain it, concerted multistakeholder action in all sectors- public and private - is needed in the following action areas.

by enhancing the visibility of female role models (Action Area #1)

Recommended actions:

• Include more discoveries and stories from female scientists, with images, in school textbooks to establish a positive association between women and science from an early age and to recognize women's contributions to science.
• Increase the presence of female scientists in the media (newspapers, magazines, [community] radio[s], television and internet) as well as in popular culture and the entertainment industry to showcase the variety of science-related careers and dispel gender-based misconceptions.
• Organize and provide funding for outreach activities featuring female scientists to empower these women to share their professional journeys with the general public, as well as in formal and informal educational settings to support career orientation.
• Ensure an equitable representation of women and men on relevant boards, committees and panels to foster a culture of inclusivity within the scientific community.
• Increase opportunities for women scientists to access research grants and other sources of research funding.

through innovative and inspiring educational strategies and initiatives (Action Area #2)

Recommended Actions: 

• Ensure that science is introduced into the curriculum from an early age, beginning in pre-school, and that teachers employ methods that engage young learners, both boys and girls, in a playful and entertaining manner to spark their curiosity and to inculcate a culture of science from an early age.
• Remove gender bias and stereotypes from teaching and learning materials and support training for curriculum and textbook specialists to ensure gender-balanced and gender-equitable representation in learning materials as well as the promotion of gender equality.
• Invest in rewarding excellent performance of girls in STEM subjects through provision of scholarships, awards and other incentives. 
• Engage parents and primary caregivers through school-based or advocacy initiatives to counter common misconceptions about science fields as well as gendered expectations that affect girls’ identities, beliefs, behaviours and choices.
• Prioritize interactive interdisciplinary and equal learning environments with hands-on experiments and activities ensuring the participation of girls, taking advantage of existing digital tools, among others, to build a strong knowledge foundation while fostering a passion for inquiry and exploration.
• Allocate resources for extracurricular STEM programmes, including clubs, after-school activities, field trips and summer immersion programmes, to extend learning beyond traditional classrooms and expose learners to women in scientific fields.
• Invest in specialized teacher trainings to equip educators with the skills they need to provide quality interdisciplinary gender-responsive STEM education in an interactive and learner-friendly environment that dismantles the gender stereotypes and roles associated with distinct scientific disciplines.
• Provide gender-transformative counselling and guidance within formal and informal educational settings to expose students and their parents to myriad scientific careers and job opportunities, including through exchanges with female scientists who can act as role models and mentors. 
• Encourage businesses to implement corporate social responsibility initiatives supporting women and girls in science through community outreach programmes and partnerships with educational institutions to support young women and girls pursuing careers in science fields.

through policies actions that promote inclusion, diversity and equity (Action Area #3)

Recommended Actions:

• Enact evidence-based gender-responsive institutional policies, including by: 
  • instituting mandatory training sessions on gender stereotypes and gender-responsive leadership for managers, evaluation committees and recruitment officers to recognize and address implicit biases in their decision-making processes and underlying technologies, such as hiring, promotions and funding allocations; 
  • applying equal remuneration for work of equal value and mandating transparency in pay and promotion decisions;
  • prioritizing longer-term contracts to support life choices and family planning;
  • actively supporting work-life balance by enhancing childcare support measures, improving maternity leave, paternity leave, adoption leave and shared parental leave benefits, and by providing flexible working hours and teleworking arrangements;
  • establishing re-integration pathways for women scientists whose careers have been affected by motherhood and other family-related reasons; 
  • establishing re-integration pathways for female scientists whose careers have been disrupted by harassment or discrimination;
  • monitoring the impacts of the gender-responsive policies put in place.
• Take action against gender-based violence, including sexism and sexual harassment, by:  
  • implementing effective anti-harassment policies or strategies and clear human resources guidelines, covering both prevention (training to address sexism and sexual harassment) and response (strict punishments for perpetrators), with thorough impact assessment;
  • establishing robust mechanisms and guidelines for reporting harassment in a safe environment which is equipped with adequate support systems;
  • fostering a culture of accountability and collaboration as opposed to supporting work environments that elevate individual team leaders to an ‘untouchable’ status and support an abuse of power.
• Promote women in leadership positions by:
  
  • collecting and reporting gender-disaggregated data at each management level to monitor and promote gender equality within organizations;
  • supporting open-access soft skills training programmes, such as in leadership and negotiation, to enhance the professional development of female scientists;
  • increasing the number of female members of academies of science, hence providing exemplary figures who inspire and pave the way for others; 
  • developing accessible databases and platforms that identify and provide contact information for female leaders in science to facilitate their involvement in panels, events and committees;
  • promoting collaborations among female scientists, including through formal mentorship, sponsorship and networking programmes to allow them to share their experience with others and to facilitate collective learning.
• Foster collaborative research environments that nurture group efforts, reward teamwork and incentivise excellence in research including that which addresses societal needs and benefits society at large, including the vulnerable and the most marginalized. 
• Foster welcoming research environments that provide training and opportunities for all participants within a culture of equality, building shared norms of gender equality through education, trainings and allyship endeavours for men and women in science.
• Encourage partnerships with female-owned or female-led businesses in the science sector.
• Invest in collecting sex- and gender-disaggregated data on a regular basis at country level to devise evidence-based policies and monitor progress in closing the gender gap. Such data should indicate female representation and inclusion among researchers and trainees across disciplines, educational levels and career levels.