ICIAM was one of the partners of the global project 'A Global Approach to the Gender Gap in Mathematical, Computing and Natural Sciences: How to Measure It, How to Reduce It', supported by ICSU and then ISC from 2017 to 2019. The website of that project is http://www.iciam.org/gender-gap-science-project and one can find there the final report and the various very interesting 'results' of the project. Some of the very good tools developed within the project have still to be made available to everybody, specially the partners and their members. We will inform our readers when they will become available to all.
A number of international organizations who took part in the project, and among them ICIAM, wish to act together to further promote gender equality in science by continuing and enlarging the work accomplished by this project and, in particular, by supporting women's and girls' equal access to science education, and by fostering equal opportunity and treatment for females in their careers. For this purpose they wish to act as Founding Partners for the establishment of a Standing Committee for Gender Equality in Science (SCGES). After having consulted its members, which approved it by a big majority, the ICIAM President signed recently the Memorandum of Understanding together with all founding members:
- International Astronomical Union (IAU)
- International Council of Industrial and Applied Mathematics (ICIAM)
- International Mathematical Union (IMU)
- International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS)
- International Union of History and Philosophy of Science and TechnologyIUHPST)
- International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC)
- International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP)
- Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
- Gender in Science, Innovation, Technology and Engineering (GenderInSITE)
Further international organizations may join as partners later.
Among other things, the members of this Standing Committee are supposed to
- Endeavor to promote gender equality in their own structure, proceedings and scientific discipline, noting the recommendations of the Gender Gap in Science Project.
- Appoint a representative to SCGES; it shall also appoint a deputy representative who may stand in for the representative in case of need.
- Share with SCGES, and especially with its chair, all relevant information that can help promote gender equality in science.
- Within the limits of its capacity, set up projects and initiatives to promote gender equality in science; for this purpose they may seek cooperation with other members of the Standing Committee.
- Decide whether to contribute to projects and initiatives led by other partners and endorsed by the SCGES, and consider the modalities of this contribution.
- Share communications relevant to gender equality in science with its members and through its networks, by all means at its disposal, including social network accounts, website, newsletters and journals, electronic and in print.
- Call upon its member organizations or its representatives, if relevant, to set up national or regional initiatives to promote gender equality in science.
