Eric Charbonnier, Analyst in the Innovation and Measuring Progress Division, OECD presents at the webinar 'Advancing Gender Equality: The Crucial Role of Science and Technology' on 4 April 2024.

1. Advancing Gender Equality: The Crucial Role
of Science and Technology

2. Gender gap in reading performance
Score-point difference in reading between boys and girls
Figure I.4.8
-50
-45
-40
-35
-30
-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
Jordan
342
Finland
490
United
Arab
Emirates
417
Slovenia
469
Norway
477
Qatar
419
Albania
358
Malta
445
Baku
(Azerbaijan)
365
Sweden
487
Montenegro
405
Iceland
436
Jamaica*
410
Georgia
374
Philippines
347
Korea
515
Brunei
Darussalam
429
Croatia
475
Dominican
Republic
351
Bulgaria
404
Saudi
Arabia
383
Malaysia
388
Lithuania
472
Moldova
411
Slovak
Republic
447
Czech
Republic
489
Poland
489
Latvia*
475
Belgium
479
Kazakhstan
386
Chinese
Taipei
515
Estonia
511
Thailand
379
Romania
428
Netherlands*
459
New
Zealand*
501
Serbia
440
North
Macedonia
359
Greece
438
Spain
474
Kosovo
342
Türkiye
456
Mongolia
378
Canada*
507
OECD
average
476
Switzerland
483
Ukrainian
regions
(18
of
27)
428
Israel
474
Indonesia
359
Hong
Kong
(China)*
500
Morocco
339
Uzbekistan
336
United
States*
504
Australia*
498
Portugal
477
Denmark*
489
Austria
480
Cambodia
329
France
474
Singapore
543
Germany
480
Italy
482
Panama*
392
Paraguay
373
Ireland*
516
Viet
Nam
462
Brazil
410
Hungary
473
Japan
516
United
Kingdom*
494
Uruguay
430
Macao
(China)
510
Argentina
401
El
Salvador
365
Colombia
409
Guatemala
374
Peru
408
Mexico
415
Chile
448
Costa
Rica
415
Score dif. Mean
Boys scored higher than girls
Boys scored lower than girls

3. Gender gap in mathematics performance
Score-point difference in mathematics between boys and girls
Figure I.4.7
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
5
10
15
20
25
Palestinian
Authority
366
Jordan
361
Philippines
355
Jamaica*
377
Brunei
Darussalam
442
Malaysia
409
Qatar
414
United
Arab
Emirates
431
Baku
(Azerbaijan)
397
Indonesia
366
North
Macedonia
389
Thailand
394
Bulgaria
417
Mongolia
425
Georgia
390
Finland
484
Dominican
Republic
339
Cambodia
336
Morocco
365
Slovenia
485
Norway
468
Montenegro
406
Kazakhstan
425
Kosovo
355
Slovak
Republic
464
Malta
466
Saudi
Arabia
389
Sweden
482
Iceland
459
Panama*
357
Moldova
414
Romania
428
Korea
527
Lithuania
475
Poland
489
Chinese
Taipei
547
Türkiye
453
Greece
430
Uzbekistan
364
Estonia
510
El
Salvador
343
Croatia
463
Czech
Republic
487
Belgium
489
Brazil
379
Hong
Kong
(China)*
540
Japan
536
Colombia
383
OECD
average
472
Latvia*
483
France
474
Ukrainian
regions
(18
of
27)
441
Spain
473
Viet
Nam
469
New
Zealand*
479
Portugal
472
Netherlands*
493
Switzerland
508
Uruguay
409
Serbia
440
Argentina
378
Israel
458
Australia*
487
Germany
475
Paraguay
338
Denmark*
489
Mexico
395
Singapore
575
Canada*
497
Guatemala
344
Ireland*
492
United
States*
465
United
Kingdom*
489
Hungary
473
Costa
Rica
385
Peru
391
Macao
(China)
552
Chile
412
Austria
487
Italy
471
Score dif.
Boys scored higher than girls
Boys scored
lower than girls

4. Gender gap in mathematics performance
Score-point difference in mathematics between boys and girls
Figure I.4.7
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50
Palestinian
Authority
366
Jordan
361
Philippines
355
Jamaica*
377
Brunei
Darussalam
442
Malaysia
409
Qatar
414
United
Arab
Emirates
431
Baku
(Azerbaijan)
397
Indonesia
366
North
Macedonia
389
Thailand
394
Bulgaria
417
Mongolia
425
Georgia
390
Finland
484
Dominican
Republic
339
Cambodia
336
Morocco
365
Slovenia
485
Norway
468
Montenegro
406
Kazakhstan
425
Kosovo
355
Slovak
Republic
464
Malta
466
Saudi
Arabia
389
Sweden
482
Iceland
459
Panama*
357
Moldova
414
Romania
428
Korea
527
Lithuania
475
Poland
489
Chinese
Taipei
547
Türkiye
453
Greece
430
Uzbekistan
364
Estonia
510
El
Salvador
343
Croatia
463
Czech
Republic
487
Belgium
489
Brazil
379
Hong
Kong
(China)*
540
Japan
536
Colombia
383
OECD
average
472
Latvia*
483
France
474
Ukrainian
regions
(18
of
27)
441
Spain
473
Viet
Nam
469
New
Zealand*
479
Portugal
472
Netherlands*
493
Switzerland
508
Uruguay
409
Serbia
440
Argentina
378
Israel
458
Australia*
487
Germany
475
Paraguay
338
Denmark*
489
Mexico
395
Singapore
575
Canada*
497
Guatemala
344
Ireland*
492
United
States*
465
United
Kingdom*
489
Hungary
473
Costa
Rica
385
Peru
391
Macao
(China)
552
Chile
412
Austria
487
Italy
471
90th percentile (highest-performing students)
Score dif.
Boys scored higher than girls
Boys scored
lower than girls

5. There is a strong negative correlation across OECD countries between
gender gaps in mathematics and reading
Score point differences in PISA mathematics and reading scales (PISA 2022)

6. Tertiary completion rates are especially high for women
Completion rates of full-time students who entered a bachelor's (or equivalent level) programme,
by gender and timeframe (2020)
Figure B5.1.
0
25
50
75
100
United
Kingdom
Lithuania
Israel
Poland
Finland
Norway
United
States
Canada
Estonia
Spain
Average
Slovenia
Portugal
Switzerland
Iceland
France
New
Zealand
Sweden
Australia
Brazil
Netherlands
Austria
Italy
Colombia
Flemish
Comm.
(Belgium)
French
Comm.
(Belgium)
Women by the theoretical duration Men by the theoretical duration Women by the theoretical duration plus 3 years Men by the theoretical duration plus 3 years

7. Large gender gaps by field of study persist among new entrants
Share of women among new entrants to tertiary education, by selected fields of study and level of education (2020)
Figure B4.1.
0
25
50
75
100
Short-cycle
Tertiary
Bachelor's
or
equivalent
Master's
or
equivalent
Doctoral
or
equivalent
Short-cycle
Tertiary
Bachelor's
or
equivalent
Master's
or
equivalent
Doctoral
or
equivalent
Short-cycle
Tertiary
Bachelor's
or
equivalent
Master's
or
equivalent
Doctoral
or
equivalent
Education Health and welfare STEM
OECD average Lowest value among OECD countries Highest value among OECD countries

8. Girls are under-represented in the fields of STEM and over-represented in
certain other fields such as education and health and welfare.
Share of women among new entrants to tertiary education, by selected fields of study (2020)

9. Women are a minority among tertiary staff
Share of women among academic staff (2005 and 2020)
Figure D8.3.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Lithuania
Latvia
Finland
New
Zealand
Belgium
United
States
Canada
Estonia
Norway
Israel
Poland
Netherlands
Slovak
Republic
Brazil
Sweden
United
Kingdom
Portugal
EU22
average
France
Türkiye
Spain
OECD
average
Denmark
Costa
Rica
Austria
India
Slovenia
Saudi
Arabia
Hungary
Germany
Colombia
Italy
Greece
Switzerland
Korea
Luxembourg
Japan
2020 2005

10. Employment: The gender gap is particularly high among adults with low
educational attainment
Employment rates of 25-34 year-olds with below upper secondary attainment, by gender (2020)
Figure D8.3.
73
65
57 56 54 53 53
51 50 50 49 48 48 48 47 47 46 45 44 43 43 43 42 42 42 41 41 40 39 38 38 37 37 37 36 36 35
33 30 30
26 26 24 23 22
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Iceland
Portugal
Switzerland
New
Zealand
Luxembourg
United
Kingdom
Netherlands
Norway
Latvia
Austria
Germany
Russian
Federation
Chile
Korea
Indonesia
Spain
Sweden
Denmark
Estonia
OECD
average
Australia
Mexico
Czech
Republic
Slovenia
EU22
average
United
States
Lithuania
Argentina
Canada
Hungary
Israel
Greece
Colombia
France
Belgium
Costa
Rica
Brazil
Ireland
Finland
Italy
Turkey
South
Africa
Slovak
Republic
Poland
India
Women Men

11. The gender gap in the employment rate of 25-34 year-olds with tertiary qualification
narrowed between 2015 and 2022 in around two-thirds of OECD countries
Gender disparities in employment rates in percentage points; men minus employment rates of women

12. Women earn 26% less than men, although the pay gap has narrowed in some
countries
Trends in women's earnings as a percentage of men's earnings (2013 and 2019)
Figure D8.3.
95
83 83 81 80
80 80 80
80
79 78 77 77 77 76 76 76 76 76 75 75 75 74 73 73 73 73 72 71 71 71 70 69 69 68 68
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Costa
Rica
Luxembourg
Slovenia
Australia
Turkey
Latvia
Switzerland
Colombia
Belgium
New
Zealand
Netherlands
Denmark
Spain
Finland
Lithuania
United
Kingdom
OECD
average
Norway
France
Estonia
EU22
average
Mexico
Austria
Korea
Canada
Czech
Republic
Portugal
Slovak
Republic
United
States
Poland
Italy
Germany
Ireland
Israel
Hungary
Chile
2019 2013

13. Thank you !