According to the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the proportion of women researchers in our country is 39.7% (including 40.6% among candidates of sciences and 18% among doctors of sciences). Women researchers of the NAS of Belarus make up 47.6% of the total number of researchers, which corresponds to the parity representation according to the gender equality plan of the Republic of Belarus. The share of women among candidates of science is 42.8%. There is a high proportion of women among undergraduates (46.7%) and postgraduates (55%). Among doctoral students and doctors, 29.6% and 18% of the total are women. Women are also represented among the senior staff of the Academy. They hold positions of heads of the scientific organization (4.3%), deputy heads for scientific work (23.2%), deputy heads for scientific and innovative work (19.4%). Most women hold the administrative position of scientific secretary – 63.2%.
In the view of women holding senior positions (director, deputy director, scientific secretary) in the structural divisions of the NAS of Belarus, who were interviewed during 40 sociological interviews, first of all, the measure of success is professionalism.
Over the past 15 years, the world community has made significant strides in engaging women and girls in science. According to the strategy of the European Commission on gender equality, one of the goals in research is to achieve at least 40% of each sex representation in science. The share of female researchers in the world ranges from 15.3% in Japan to 54.8% in Azerbaijan.