Prof. Judi Wakhungu, previously Executive Director of the African Center for Technology Studies (ACTS) in Nairobi, Kenya, was appointed the new Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Water and Energy by President Uhuru Kenyatta on April 25, 2013.

Senior WISAT Associate Nancy Hafkin delivered the 2013 Alumni-endowed lecture on important issues in technology, culture and society at the New York University Polytechnic Institute in Brooklyn, New York on 9 April. The lecture on Gender Equality in the Knowledge Society was attended by an audience of 120 students and faculty in science and technology. The Institute’s Department of Technology, Culture and Society (TCS), chaired by Dr. Kristen Day, delivers courses and supports research and educational programs that investigate how technology and science shape – and are shaped by – broader social and cultural issues. 

Cape Town, March 7, 2013 - In the first gender benchmarking study of its kind, researchers have found that numbers of women in the science, technology and innovation fields (STI) are alarmingly low in the world's leading economies, and are actually on the decline in many, including the United States. For South Africa, results show that women have more opportunities available to them than ever before, however, their participation in the science, technology and innovation workforce remains low.

Nelius Boshoff, CREST for ASSAf

Delhi, March 7, 2013 - In the first gender benchmarking study of its kind, researchers have found that numbers of women in the science, technology and innovation fields are alarmingly low in the world's leading economies, and are actually on the decline in many, including the United States. India's low overall ranking in the study shows slow progress despite women friendly policies which have been in place for a number of years.

Sudha Nair, Gender Advisory Board, UNCSTD 

Numbers of women in engineering, physics and computer science are on the decline in Korea

Seoul, March 7, 2013– In the first gender benchmarking study of its kind, researchers have found that numbers of women in the science, technology and innovation fields are alarmingly low in the world’s leading economies, and are actually on the decline in others, including the United States. South Korea’s low ranking in the study results reflects a substantial underrepresentation of females in public and economic life.

São Paolo, March 7, 2013 -  In the first gender benchmarking study of its kind, researchers have found that numbers of women in the science, technology and innovation fields are alarmingly low in the world's leading economies, and are actually on the decline in many, including the United States. Results from Brazil show that despite women having a strong representation in parts of the science, technology and innovation sector, and a slight increase in engineering, physics and computer  science, overall numbers are on the decline. 

Alice Abreu and Maria Coleta Oliveira

The lack of technology support for women's activities is not adequately understood or taken into account in policy or programming, while the numbers of women in the science, technology and innovation fields are alarmingly low in the world’s leading economies, and are actually on the decline in many, including the United States. WISAT Executive Director Sophia Huyer called attention to this situation at the Elsevier Foundation – Celebrating Emerging Leaders in Science Dinner, February 15, 2013 in Boston. 

WISAT Senior Associate Nancy Hafkin has been named to the recently created Working Group on Broadband and Gender of the United Nations Broadband Commission. Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, UNDP Senior Advisor on Governance and Commission member (pictured) addressed the initial meeting of the Working Group in New York in February 2013.The Broadband Commission for Digital Development was organized in 2010 by the United Nations Secretary General, UNDP, the International Telecommunication Union and UNESCO. 

Numbers of women in physics, engineering, computer science on the decline globally: The number of women in science, technology and innovation is alarmingly low in the world’s leading economies, and actually on the decline in several, including the United States.  

Women remain severely under-represented in degree programs for these fields. Even in countries where the numbers of women studying science and technology have increased, more women are not finding their way into the workplace.

 WISAT Executive Director Sophia Huyer and Senior Associate Nancy Hafkin were among 75 global leaders from some 20 countries on women and information technologies (ICTs) for international development at a two-day forum organized by UN Women and the United States Department of State Office of Global Women's Issues in Washington, D.C. in January 2013.