Where in the world the women scientists are
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The share of women researchers grew over the past two decades — but there is a wide gap across countries, according to a new report from publishing giant Elsevier.
Why it matters: Women's participation in science influences what topics are studied and what products are invented — from health products to AI algorithms.
- Studies have repeatedly found gender diverse teams are more innovative.
What they found: Women made up 41% of researchers in 2022 compared to 29% twenty years earlier, per the Progress Toward Gender Equality in Research & Innovation 2024 Review. The report considered citations, grant awards, publications and other indicators of participation and impact in science.
- The highest share of women researchers from 2018 to 2022 was in countries with Hispanic and Latin backgrounds — Portugal, Spain, Argentina and Brazil.
- In the U.S., the proportion was 42% — just above the world average of 41%. Women make up 33% of researchers in India, one of the world's most active research countries. China wasn't included in the analysis.
- Women achieved parity in psychology, immunology, molecular biology, chemistry and other fields.
Yes, but: The share of women in mathematics and engineering between 2018 and 2022 remained low — just 27% and 28%, respectively.
- The report also found the proportion of women scientists goes down as seniority goes up. Women make up 39% of early-career researchers and 27% of those who are most established.
"The leaky pipeline prevails," said Mirit Eldor, a managing director at Elsevier.
- Fewer papers involving women are being published than those involving men — a gap that has remained for more than two decades, the report says.
- Publications authored by men are cited by other researchers more than papers authored by women — but that gap closes for the most senior researchers. Women at these stages actually do better than men in terms of citations, Eldor said.
- Men or teams of only men filed more than three-quarters of patents, according to the report.
Between the lines: The report authors found women are more cited in policy documents and media.
- The challenge is these are longer-term indicators that may not be captured in assessments of women researchers' work, Eldor said.
What to watch: The report makes several recommendations, including training for women on translating research to patents and using a broader range of indicators to measure the effectiveness and impact of research.
- Eldor says retaining early-career women researchers should be a top priority.
- "When we fix that, we'll be in much better shape."
