Czechia has lowest representation of women in science among EU countries, report finds

Czechia has the lowest representation of women in science among all EU countries, the Czech News Agency reported on Saturday, citing a report by the National Contact Centre - Gender and Science of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The report, which analyzed data from 2005 to 2022, highlights deep-rooted societal issues that discourage women from pursuing leadership roles in scientific fields.

In 2022, women held just 13.5% of top positions in research, universities, and other scientific institutions. Their representation in decision-making and advisory bodies stood at 22.6% and 25.7%, respectively. Women accounted for only 28.7% of the total workforce in research and development (R&D), the lowest in the EU.

This comes despite a near doubling of the overall R&D workforce in the Czech Republic over the monitoring period. By comparison, the EU average of women in R&D is 52%, with Lithuania leading at 64%.

The report underscores that the underrepresentation of women in Czech science is a missed opportunity to harness qualified talent and highlights the need for systemic changes starting from childhood education.