Tackling the world's challenges by increasing diversity in science

Our society is becoming more and more complex, with increasing challenges in all fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Artificial intelligence and social media algorithms are taking more and more space, we worry about Earth's climate and natural resources, we worry about our generation and all the ones to come. The solutions need to be adapted to everyone who inhabits this world, meaning that these solutions need to be shaped by people representative of that same world. Today, we still see an underrepresentation of women in most fields of research globally, and we want to work on that.

This year’s International Day of Women and Girls in Science (February 11) is about “existing good practices and solutions for building more inclusive Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) ecosystems” (UNESCO website). Within the framework of our Gender Equality Plan (GEP), which is regularly updated by our Gender & Diversity Team with new statistics and action points, we often focus on what is missing. It is therefore an interesting exercise to take a look at what is already in place to encourage more women to join our Institute and to support those who are already with us.

First, let’s look at the state of affairs as recorded at the end of the year 2025.

If we compare these percentages to the general numbers worldwide (as reported in the UNESCO Factsheet), we recognize a similar trend as we hover around 1/3. The percentage of research positions that are reported by UNESCO for Belgium specifically has remained very stable, standing at 33.4% in 2013 and 33.5% in 2021.

Although the numbers for our Institute appear slightly lower than both the national and international average, we are strongly motivated in maintaining and improving a work environment inclusive to everyone, as laid out in our GEP mentioned above.

On top of the maintenance work for the wellbeing of all employees, many BIRA-IASB staff are investing time and effort in initiatives aimed at enhancing the visibility of women in science and reaching out to girls and young women. BIRA-IASB participated in the Planetary Wiki edit-a-thon that was carried out in 2025 with the support of Ernest Solvay Fund (managed by the King Baudouin Foundation) and Europlanet. Information on this edit-a-thon can be found in Fig 2. Another month-long edit-a-thon is starting today 11 February until 8 March.

Soapbox Science is another initiative in which BIRA-IASB employees have been strongly involved. Soapbox Science is a public outreach platform that promotes women working in science and the research that they do, started in London in 2011. In 2020, BIRA-IASB volunteers were co-founders of the Brussels branch => Soapbox Science Brussels. They continued participating in the organisation, promotion and management of the yearly events, while others participated as volunteers and as speakers.

Video of Soapbox Science 2023