Ministry of Communication, Science and Technology, on occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, advised females to take up roles within the field of science.
Celebrated every February 11 since 2016, the United Nations (UN) recognized day aims to inspire women to engage in science.
According to Maldivian academic statistics, women tend to seek higher education as compared with men. The Ministry noted a variety of fields including sustainable energy, marine science, agricultural science and other areas of environmental studies as sectors for women to engage in.
Underscoring the importance of empowering women to further the national development agenda of the country, the minister assured that Maldivian girls have the capacity to perform at an international level in pursuit of their career.
"To rise to the challenges of the 21st century, we need to harness our full potential. That requires dismantling gender stereotypes", said UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
"On this International Day of Women and Girls in Science, let’s pledge to end the gender imbalance in science".
As per UN statistics, less than 30 percent of researchers worldwide are women. Studies also found that roughly 30 percent of all female students select STEM-related fields in higher education.