As our world becomes increasingly interconnected, and as technology makes it easier to talk to each other across continents, the field of science is becoming more and more global. International collaboration among scientists is on therise, according to a report from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.
But even such broad collaboration is subject to gender biases that are embedded in the very structure and culture of global science, says Kathrin Zippel, who is a professor of sociology at Northeastern University. Another UNESCO report shows that women comprise less than 30 percent of the world’s researchers.
“When we talk about the underrepresentation of women in STEM [science, technology, engineering, and math] fields, we’re dealing with a global phenomenon. Global science and academia are the new frontiers for women,” Zippel says.
