Turning Data into Action: OWSD–UNESCO Webinar Advances Gender Equality in STEM

On 22 October, the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) hosted a global webinar unveiling results from the OWSD–UNESCO Gender in STEM Research and Outreach Pilot Project, implemented in Bolivia, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe.

Around 30 OWSD members and partners from across the world joined the session to explore how harmonised, gender-sensitive data can inform policy reforms supporting women in STEM. The project tested adaptable research tools, validated across more than 4,500 respondents, to generate robust, comparable evidence linking data directly to policy and advocacy.

Alessandro Bello, OWSD Monitoring and Evaluation Consultant, presented the project’s mixed-methods framework, which combined surveys, interviews, and policy mapping. This approach revealed consistent barriers across contexts, from limited mentorship and digital access to persistent gender stereotypes in education and workplaces.

Country teams then shared national findings:

• Bolivia, represented by Natalia Montellano Durán, reported low STEM awareness in schools, and in adults generally. However, data shows that women are overrepresented in academia and underrepresented in industry with many reporting difficulties accessing opportunities, and also experiences of discrimination.
• In Rwanda, women represent 35–40% of tertiary STEM enrolments. Marie Sagesse Uwurukundo presented data showing that while there is strong policy support in the country, there are ongoing challenges related to mentorship and workplace discrimination. For example, 95% of respondents reported having no mentor and 28% reported experiences of harassment.
• Blessing Magonziwa presented the results from Zimbabwe, where evidence points to underrepresentation of women in technical fields despite high literacy and educational parity. Policy dialogues that came out of the pilot prompted revisions to the National Gender Policy and STI Policy to include measurable gender-STEM objectives and establish sex-disaggregated data systems.

Lora Gailly, Associate Project Officer in UNESCO’s Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Section, introduced the next IDRC-funded phase, to be launched at the OWSD General Assembly in Bogotá, Colombia in November. The expansion will scale the framework to new countries and deepen engagement between researchers and policymakers.

A comprehensive Q&A session followed, with participants discussing how to adapt the framework to their own national chapters. Closing the event, Tonya Blowers, OWSD Coordinator, praised the work UNESCO is doing to disseminate the projects and its focus on making women in STEM highly visible across the globe. She also emphasised the importance of data-driven collaboration:

“By equipping our members with the tools to gather and use evidence effectively, we ensure that women’s experiences in STEM directly shape the policies that affect them.”

The webinar reinforced OWSD’s role as a catalyst for transforming evidence into action; linking women scientists, policymakers, and institutions to advance gender equality in STEM worldwide.