International Day of Women and Girls in Science
In 2016, the UN declared 11 February as International Day of Women and Girls in Science. The main reason for this declaration was to encourage more girls and women to take up jobs in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, known as the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects. The statistics show that although there is no significant difference in ability between boys and girls in maths and science, less than 35 per cent of graduates in STEM subjects worldwide are women and there are even fewer in engineering and information technology.
But, day by day we recognize the role women and girls already play in science, promote the idea of STEM careers to future generations of women, and educate men on their role in encouraging and mentoring women and girls in schools and the workplace to pursue their technical and scientific passions. Therefore, International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11 allows us to honour women’s significant achievements in science for their fresh points of view, new talent, creativity and place a much-needed focus on girls entering Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers.
Gender equality has always been a core issue for United Nations. Gender equality and the empowerment of woman and girls will make crucial contribution not only to economic development of the World, but to progress across all the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable Development, as well.
From the first year of its independence Turkmenistan is systematically implementing measures to improve the situation of women and gender equality.
In accordance with the Constitution of Turkmenistan men and women are having an equal rights and freedoms and equal opportunities for their realization. National legislation provides legal mechanisms and guarantees to achieve a balanced participation of men and women in the power structures, providence of equal opportunities for economical independence of women, development of own business and advancement on career, creation of the conditions for equal implementation of the rights and obligations in the family.
State program to ensure substantive equality for women, enhance their role in social and political life has become a fundamental national and international legislative basis.
The fact that half of the workers in the country are women, witnesses about how wide they are using their constitution rights on labor. Women occupy a worthy place in the supreme bodies of state authority and in the fields of science and education, art and culture, health care and sports, widely and actively expand their business.
Ogulmaya ANNAGELDIEVA,
1st year student
of the Faculty of International Economic Relations
of the Institute of International Relations
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.