“The gender of the Serbian noun science is feminine, but its application is universal and must not be related either to gender or to skin color but must be accessible to everyone, equally and without prejudice. Girls and women have fought for their place in the scientific community, and while today they are leading challenging research that will affect humanity, they are still not equal”, said Brankica Janković, Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, on the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

UNESCO research data show that about 30 percent of female students opt for a faculty in the fields of technology, engineering, and mathematics. In Serbia, about 40 percent of girls choose a faculty in the field of natural sciences. However, the number does not guarantee their equal position in relation to men. Female scientists are still underrepresented in STEM sciences, they publish fewer scientific papers, receive less money for their research, face various forms of discrimination, do not advance in their careers as much as they could and would like, and even drop out of science careers more often compared to male colleagues.

“Doing science as a woman is still a specific challenge. Research work is demanding by itself, but if we add to that the reconciliation of family life, which is always more challenging for women, deeply rooted prejudices and gender stereotypes, and barriers when it comes to advancement, then much more skills and perseverance are needed to achieve the successes that women in science accomplish every day. Therefore, it is important to remove all the obstacles they confront and to create a stimulating environment in which girls and women in science will succeed in realizing their full potential and inspire future generations of female scientists”, Janković pointed out.

The Commissioner said that SASA, as an institution of special academic and scientific importance, has an extremely important role in the promotion of women’s scientific and artistic contribution, which is why they sent them a recommendation to take measures to realize the principle of gender equality during the next elections, because the achievements of women in science and artistic creativity should also reflect on their membership in that institution.

In order to achieve full equality, understanding and support are needed. The program of National Scholarships “For Women in Science,” the science television campaign “#FacesOfThisCity, which will be heard about soon” in which the faces of young female scientists are promoted on billboards, as well as the exhibition in Novi Sad “Mileva: We are a stone” which represents the life and importance of the mathematician Mileva Marić Einstein are worthy of praise.

“These are all good examples of increasing the visibility of girls and women in science, but also to get them interested in science and encourage them to devote themselves to professional development and a scientific career”, added the Commissioner.