Women in Water Science.


 

The year 2025 marks a dual milestone: 50 years of the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme and 60 years of UNESCO’scommitment to water sciences. These anniversaries offer an opportunity to reflectnot only on scientific progress but also onwho has contributed to that progress—andwho has been left out. Despite the increasing relevance of gender in water management and policy, past and contemporary research is largely missing information about impact on women, the contributions of women or gender considerations for the interfaces of society and water. 




A bibliometric study found that out of thousands of scientific articles published in water-related disciplines, fewer than 100 mentioned both gender, or women, and hydrology. In 2022, nine of the top 21 hydrology journals published no articles referencing gender, while the remainder published between one and This absence in the literature or data does not reflect an absence of women in the field of water sciences. On the contrary, women have contributed to water science throughout history, and today they represent a growing share of national hydrological society memberships.Representation in leadership is also gradually improving. However, the field still displays structural barriers to success. In the 21 leading hydrology journals, women occupied just 4% to 38% of editorial board seats, with a median of 18%. Editorial board composition is positively linked to publication success for women, particularly for lead and senior authors. 




Equity in workforce and pay also remains elusive, albeit with limited data. Women constitute less than 17% of the total paid workforce in the water sector, with even fewer in research and decision-making positions.2019 UNESCO is working to accelerate progress towards gender equality in the water sector and to give more visibilityto women researchers in water sciences. On behalf of the UN system, UNESCO is coordinating the United NationsWorld Water Development Report 2026 on water and gender. Another publication in the UNESCO Global WaterSecurity Issues series—titled “Water and Gender: Towards Women’s Equal Rights and Opportunities”—is in preparation for 2026, with 68% of proposals submitted by women lead authors, up from 45% in the fourth (2023) and 50% in the fifth (2025) volumes.



 The book Emerging Pollutants: Protecting Water Quality for Health and Environment, co-published with Springer Nature in 2025, features pioneering research by women scientists from around the world with 13 of 21 chapters led by women. Furthermore, the UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme implements a water and gender programme, including methodologies and tools to collect sex-disaggregated data.







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