LocationsOpening Remarks by Mr James George at the Seminar on Investing in Young Women in Scientific Research, Technology and Innovation
May 8, 2024
UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in China, James George, delivered opening remarks at the Seminar on Investing in Young Women in Scientific Research, Technology and Innovation in Beijing, China.
Friends and colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good afternoon!
On behalf of UNDP in China, it is a great pleasure to be here at this Seminar on Investing in Young Women in Scientific Research, Technology and Innovation.
Let me begin by stating the obvious - Gender equality is a prerequisite for a peaceful, and prosperous world.
Only when women and girls are given equal opportunities, can we truly see positive and equitable impacts - in areas critical to sustainable development of our global community such as poverty alleviation, education, health, and economic growth.
Indeed, at the core – almost 1/3 of indicators for the Sustainable Development Goals – our global blueprint to protect people and planet – are gender-related, signifying the importance of women to our collective future.
But this is a future that is increasingly being shaped by science and technology in the present moment.
From AI and machine-learning to advancements in healthcare and medicine, cutting-edge breakthroughs are transforming - every aspect of our lives on a daily basis.
These amazing breakthroughs have tremendous potential to rapidly accelerate development progress and at the same time poses the risk of undermining development gains that have been made over the last decades for gender equality.
To ensure that these innovations work to bridge divides, instead of exacerbating them, and help to solve global challenges, instead of creating new ones, it is crucial that women are equally involved in both their design and application.
Let’s pause for a pulse check.
Currently, women account for only around a third of researchers globally, and even less in the Asia-Pacific region.
"At the core – almost 1/3 of indicators for the Sustainable Development Goals – our global blueprint to protect people and planet – are gender-related, signifying the importance of women to our collective future."
Let me pick up a point that was raised by Smriti on leadership roles.
The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2023 shows a sobering reality.
Women generally tend to be underrepresented in leadership roles, but especially in STEM work: they only account for 29.4% of entry-level workers and 29.9% of senior workers.
This drops even further to one quarter when taking into account the share of women in Manager or Director positions.
If the world is to fully leverage the benefits of science and technology, these imbalances must be addressed, by investing in women in STEM.
This means combating gender biases.
It means providing quality STEM education for girls.
It means ensuring that employers support the needs of working mothers.
It means increasing funding for female researchers and entrepreneurs.
It means providing pathways for young women to rise to leadership positions.
Indeed, the challenges surrounding gender equality in science and technology are both extensive and deeply-rooted.
At UNDP in strong collaboration with UN Women and our sister UN agencies, tackling these issues and supporting women in STEM has been a longstanding priority in our pursuit of sustainable development and the SDGs.
We are committed to working together with all stakeholders and forging new partnerships in all aspects of our work including research, advocacy, and projects to directly supporting women on the ground in villages and cities across China.
To that end, I am thrilled to see all the women leaders and experts here today, including from the private sector, academia, and international organizations, to collectively discuss and share best practices on this critical topic.
I greatly look forward to learning from each of you in the sessions ahead and carry the hope that we can all come away from today’s exchange with lessons and insights to apply in our respective fields to help support women in STEM.
With that, let me conclude by thanking our co-hosts UN Women, and the China Women’s Association of Science and Technology, for their strong leadership in organizing today’s event.
Together, let’s re-imagine what the future can potentially look like.
A world where women are fully empowered - to be changemakers and leaders.
A world where the ingenuity and brain power of all - is harnessed through science and technology.
This is a world that is both sustainable and equitable - designed by all and including everyone, everywhere.
Thank you!
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