Women account for 31.1% of researchers worldwide but remain significantly underrepresented in scientific academies and international scientific unions, according to a global report released on Tuesday by three leading international science organizations.
The International Science Council (ISC), the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), and the Standing Committee for Gender Equality in Science (SCGES) unveiled findings showing women represent only 19% of national academy members in 2025, up from 12% in 2015 and 16% in 2020. The report, titled “Toward gender equality in scientific organizations: assessment and recommendations,” presents the most comprehensive global assessment to date based on institutional data from more than 130 academies and international scientific unions, alongside responses from nearly 600 scientists worldwide.
Scientific academies and international scientific unions play critical roles in shaping scientific agendas and norms, recognizing scientific excellence, and advising policymakers. Through these functions, they strongly influence whose expertise is visible and whose voices shape science. Persistent underrepresentation within these bodies raises questions about inclusiveness, legitimacy, and the effective identification and use of scientific talent.
The data reveals more pronounced underrepresentation in senior leadership positions. Among 50 national academies, only 20% currently have a woman president, a modest increase from 17% in 2015 and unchanged since 2020. In international scientific unions, overall representation largely reflects disciplinary gender composition, while women’s representation in leadership is comparatively higher at around 40% across unions.
The report indicates that gender gaps in representation do not primarily result from explicit restrictions on eligibility. Most scientific organizations report formally open and merit based procedures. However, nomination practices, selection norms, and reliance on informal networks continue to shape who is identified, encouraged, and put forward. As a result, women remain underrepresented in nomination pools relative to their presence among eligible scientists.
Many organizations have introduced initiatives or policy statements aimed at improving gender equality. However, these measures are often limited in scope, focusing on awareness or encouragement rather than changes to core organizational processes. These measures are also in great majority not supported by dedicated resources, clear mandates, or embedded governance structures, limiting their impact.
Responses from the individual survey of scientists illustrate how these patterns are experienced in practice. Women who join scientific organizations participate at levels comparable to men, but this does not translate into comparable progression or recognition. Women are three times more likely to report barriers to advancement, including missed opportunities linked to care responsibilities.
Across disciplines and organizational settings, women are significantly 4.5 times more likely than men to report experiences of harassment and microaggressions, and to express lower levels of trust in the transparency of selection processes and in mechanisms for reporting and addressing misconduct.
Rather than proposing fixed targets, the report identifies institutional levers that can support fairer participation, leadership, and recognition. These include reforms to nomination and selection processes, improved collection and use of gender disaggregated data, and stronger monitoring and evaluation practices. The report also highlights good practices from scientific organizations where changes to formal rules and structures have supported more sustained progress.
The findings point to a structural challenge rather than a lack of qualified women. Scientific organizations remain shaped by long standing practices that influence who is nominated, selected, recognized, and heard. By documenting these mechanisms across institutions and disciplines, the report provides a robust evidence base to support more transparent, accountable, and inclusive organizational practices.
The report was released on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Women account for only about 30% of science professionals in Africa, according to a 2021 UNESCO Science Report. In Ghana, out of the best ranked 3,000 scientists, only 285, representing 9.5%, are females.
The findings were formally launched and discussed during an online webinar bringing together representatives of scientific academies, international unions, and gender equality experts from around the world. The webinar ran from 2:00 to 3:30 PM Coordinated Universal Time.
