Observed annually on 11 February, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science underscores the urgent need to advance women’s full participation in science, technology and innovation. The 2025 Global Report on South-South and Triangular Cooperation reinforces this call, highlighting persistent gender in science, technology and innovation (STI) across the Global South. Readers are encouraged to explore the full Global Report for detailed findings and policy recommendations.
Key findings include alarmingly low female participation in STEM fields and digital economies, compounded by poverty and infrastructure barriers. For example, only 30% of those working in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in the Global South are women, and in sub‐Saharan Africa just 24% of women use the internet (versus 35% of men). These trends threaten to undermine half the population. The report stresses that women’s full participation and leadership in STI is vital to sustainable development. It issues clear policy recommendations to embed gender-responsive design in all South-South and triangular cooperation initiatives, as well as empower women’s groups and ensure equal access to leadership roles. A main message is that systemic interventions (education, funding, infrastructure) must target women and girls to close these gaps.
Gender gaps in STI and digital access
Women remain underrepresented in education and innovation ecosystems. The report finds that only 30% of STEM practitioners in the Global South are women – far below parity. This suggests that cultural norms and barriers deter many girls from scientific and technical careers. Similarly, severe digital divides persist: in Africa only about 24% of women use the Internet compared to 35% of men.
Low digital literacy and costly connectivity disproportionately exclude women. As noted, underserved groups – “particularly women, rural residents, the poor, [and] the less educated” – face acute digital skill gaps. This means millions of women and girls are effectively offline, missing out on online education, e‑commerce and innovation tools. Without closing these gaps, women cannot fully engage in STI education or benefit from new digital industries.
Barriers and intersectional challenges
Multiple intersecting factors exacerbate gender inequality in STI. The report emphasises that the compound “polycrisis” of COVID‑19, climate shocks and economic stress has “disproportionately affected” marginalized groups including women.
Persistent poverty is a major barrier: in 2023 10.3% of women in developing countries lived in extreme poverty, and if trends hold an estimated 8.0% (342.4 million women and girls) will still be poor by 2030.
Such economic disadvantage limits girls’ education and access to training. Rural and remote communities also suffer infrastructure deficits (electricity, broadband), worsening the digital divide. The report highlights that women’s needs must be explicitly addressed: e.g. in school enrolment campaigns, STI curricula and vocational training, accounting for age, disability and location.
Policy implications and best practices
The report calls for gender-responsive South-South cooperation/STI policies. Key recommendations include building inclusive platforms and multi-stakeholder partnerships that “ensure that women participate equally in leadership and decision-making roles”. For example, South-South cooperation networks should involve women’s organisations and gender equality advocates from the design stage.
Triangular cooperation guidelines explicitly urge programmes to “advance gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls” as a core principle. High‑level summits echo this: the 3rd South Summit affirmed that “women’s full and equal participation and leadership… are vital for achieving sustainable development”.
Best practices cited include targeted scholarship funds for female scientists, ICT training tailored for women and girls, and monitoring schemes that collect gender-disaggregated STI data. The evidence underlines that investing in women and girls yields broad gains – boosting female STEM enrolment and internet access strengthens innovation capacity for entire communities. By addressing cultural norms and structural constraints, South-South cooperation initiatives can create a more equitable STI ecosystem in the future.
Read the 2025 Global Report on South-South and Triangular Cooperation.
