The exhibit portrays a small selection of outstanding women of German heritage and language, their lives, and their scientific achievements in different disciplines.
While the percentage of female scientists comes to approximately 34 percent worldwide, women only account for 12 percent of the scientists working at academic institutions. * Women in science generally receive smaller research grants than their male counterparts. In the field of emerging technologies, only one out of every five professorships is occupied by a woman. Despite a shortage of skilled workers, only 28 percent of female graduates are working in engineering fields and 40 percent in IT. Moreover, scientific articles written by women researchers are underrepresented in leading scientific journals.
In Germany, too, we have a long way to go. For example, at 28.1 percent, the share of female scientists in Germany is below the EU average of 32.9 percent. Both figures are still far from parity with men working in the field. For this reason, there are some programs that support women over the course of their entire careers.
However, the sustained inclusion of all talent and potential in science and research is not only a question of fairness but also ability. Gender-diverse teams, but also teams consisting of people with different backgrounds, lead to better research and development outcomes because a greater diversity of experiences can decisively expand the research perspective.
Our efforts in this field are embedded in the German government’s feminist diplomacy. Feminist diplomacy is based on the conviction that gender equality and equal opportunity are key to lasting peace and security. We see it as an interdisciplinary task across all areas to promote the visibility, participation, and representation of women.
*All data provided by the German Embassy of Washington D.C.
