10 February 2023
Your Highness,
Madam High Representative,
Distinguished delegates,
I wish I knew that there would be a notion about jeans, I would have worn them. I would be very happy now to stand up and show you that I’m with you.
Actually, I cannot emphasize enough how happy I am to see two key priorities of my Presidency coming together – the systemic inclusion of science into the decision-shaping processes of the General Assembly and providing gender justice. If we do these two together, I think we’re going to change the world.
Thank you very much indeed, Your Highness, for bringing together these two good courses.
These are gamechangers. These are about to change the world.
I’m sure the young female scientists here today know better than most what I am going to quote:
“Science is not a boy’s game. It is not a girl’s game. It is everybody’s game.”
These are the words of Nichelle Nichols, former NASA Ambassador and Star Trek actress who died last year, and who had inspired millions as one of the first African-Americans to have a lead role in a hit TV series.
She would be, as I am, delighted and proud to celebrate women and girls in science today.
I thank the Permanent Missions co-sponsoring today’s event – and the Royal Academy of Science International Trust for inspiring more women and girls to undertake scientific pursuits.
Young scientists here today – you are the future Nobel laureates and innovators who will be discovering the solutions that can save our people and planet.
You are the living proof of why it is so important that more women and girls are able to exercise their right to equal access to education.
As we all know, stereotypes and gender bias often discourage women and girls from pursuing STEM careers: the ones in science, technology, engineering and math.
As early as preschool, teachers and parents in many cases underestimate the girls’ ability to excel in these fields.
Later in their careers, women and girls often lack female role models in STEM fields, making it difficult to pursue the opportunities available to them.
As a result, women are still in a minority in digital information technology, computing, physics, mathematics and engineering.
They are awarded less research funding than men, earn 33 percent less than their male counterparts – and are less likely to be promoted.
But what if women’s access to STEM education had been the rule, rather than the exception, over the years?
Would we today have clean energy, water and sanitation for all? Would our industries be less polluting, our cities more inclusive?
In fact, the under-representation of women and girls in STEM puts a brake on all our efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
We need the expertise of women scientists to address challenges – from climate change and food insecurity to disease outbreak and water scarcity, just to name a few.
Let me put it in a very simple way:
Given the challenges that we are facing, we cannot afford the luxury of not tapping into a larger pool of talent.
Commitment and bold action are needed to promote laws, policies, budgets and institutions that advance gender equality in science.
I urge Member States to unleash the potential of women and girls – and encourage girls to pursue STEM education and careers.
Scholarships and mentoring programs are an excellent way to start.
Member States can launch media campaigns that highlight the contributions of women in STEM.
But, let’s be frank, expanding access to resources is key.
I encourage Member States to encourage funding for STEM education, training and technology, as well as research and development programs.
And here, let me quote the words of my compatriot, the Hungarian scientist Katalin Karikó.
She is celebrated as the researcher who developed RNA technology and one of the vaccines that have helped us to – narrowly – win the COVID race.
She said: “Every night I worked thinking grant, grant, grant. And it came back always no, no, no.”
Well, let us ensure that the answer will be yes, yes, yes.
As Marie Curie, the only person in history to win a Nobel Prize in two scientific fields, once said, “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.”
In the General Assembly, we take this to heart.
The science briefings held earlier this week were attended by Governments, civil society – and importantly, Youth Delegates from around the world.
I do believe that open debate ultimately leads to open labs and a rightful role in science for women and girls.
And I echo Dr. Curie’s challenge to us all: “Now is the time to understand more – so that we may fear less.”
Thank you, Your Highness.
