KATHMANDU, Feb 11: On the occasion of the 8th International Day for Women and Girls in Science, UNESCO and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) conducted a dialogue on, “Leadership of Women and Girls in Science” on Friday.

In the program, scientists and researchers in Nepal have called for the equal participation and leadership of women and girls in science and technology to address the greatest challenges facing Nepal today.

Nawa Raj Dhakal, Acting Executive Director at Alternative Energy Promotion Centre, Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Nuva Rai, Programme Officer at National Indigenous Women Forum, and Dr Tista Prasai Joshi, Senior Researcher at Nepal Academy of Science and Technology were the panelist in the dialogue that emphasized the full and equal participation and leadership of women and girls in science and technology.

The panelists have called for action from the government, international development partners, and civil society to include more indigenous women and girls in research honoring the fact that indigenous women are repositories of knowledge on land, environment, and biodiversity. They also requested increased investment for women and girls to pursue education in STEM and break harmful gender norms prevalent within families, communities and formal structures that prevent women and girls from pursuing and leading careers in science and technology.

Similarly, speaking at the event, the chief guest, Minister of Women, Children and Senior Citizens Bhagwati Chaudhary said, “If given the opportunity, women are likely to triumph. We need to ensure that we have at least 33 per cent representation of women in all sectors including government bodies, development agencies, political representation and private sectors. The government needs to incorporate this in the policies and ensure its implementation, so that we have more women and girls in leadership.”

 
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