Press release 10/02/2021

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN SCIENCE. 2021

In the Basque Country, 12,162 women are involved in R&D, equivalent to 38% of the total people who work in this field

Although 56% of university students are women, 75% of them are studying degrees related to health and social services, compared to 29% in mechanics, electronics or other technical training

Today, 11 February, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science is celebrated to highlight the presence of women in the world of science. Eustat is analysing women’s participation in science in the Basque Country through their involvement in R&D activities and in secondary and university education.

In the Basque Country, a total of 32,232 people worked in R&D in 2019, of whom 12,162 were women, according to Eustat data. Of the total number of people employed in this field, 60% of Public Administration workers are women, followed by Education, where there is barely any difference between men and women (49.9% female) and, lastly, the Business sector, where they account for only 29.5%.

By scientific discipline, Engineering is the activity where the most people work in R&D, with 20,614, or 64% of the total. It is also the largest employer of women, as 48.5% of women who work in R&D are engineers, although this proportion is much lower than that of men, with 73.3%. However, of the total number of women working in R&D, 22.8% of them are employed in the Medical Sciences, compared to 9.3% of the total number of men, and 15% work in the Social Sciences, versus 7.8% of men who work in R&D.

Trends in the presence of women in R&D

A considerable increase in the number of women in R&D has been observed in recent years. They accounted for 22.3% in 1993, 31.3% in 2003, and it has steadily increased to 37.7% at present. The number of women in R&D has increased from 1,928 in 1993 to 12,162 in 2019. The scientific discipline that was the biggest driver of this trend was Engineering, with the number of women in R&D doubling from 14.1% to 28.6% at present.

Women in Universities, Upper Secondary Education and Vocational Training (academic year 2018-2019)

If we look at Universities, 56% of students are women. Whereas, of the number of women studying a science degree, the vast majority (75.49%) study degrees in Health and Social Sciences, 28.94% are taking degrees related to Mechanics, Electronics and other technical training, Industry and Construction, and 16.76% in Information and Communication Technologies. In Natural Sciences, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics degrees, women account for 49.70% of students.

In Upper Secondary Education, there is an equal proportion of boys and girls, but there is a stronger female presence in all options except Science, with 48%. It is worth noting the higher number of girls enrolled in Arts and Humanities, 70%, followed by Social Sciences, with 60%.

Lastly, in Vocational Training, 33% are girls who primarily opt for Personal Image, where they account for 90%; Textile, Garments and Leather and Socio-Cultural and Community Services, with 80% in both cases; Healthcare, with 75%; Administration and Management, with 60%; and Food and Beverage and Chemical Industries, also with 60%. The remaining courses offered are clearly male-dominated, except Business and Marketing, where there is parity.

For further information:

Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Basque Statistics Institute C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.es Tel: 945 01 75 62