Women in Quantum Science.

 

QUANTUM SCIENCE



The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2025 as the InternationalYear of Quantum Science and Technology. As the lead agency, UNESCO is committed to ensuring quantum advancements serve all of humanity. As quantum technologies rapidly evolve, significant disparities in research capacity, technological adoption and education access persist, particularly across developing regions. These disparities are not only regional—they are also gendered. The talent pipeline into the quantum workforce shows severe disparities. According to recruitment data from Quantum Futures, reported by the London School of Economics and Political Science, fewer than 2% of applicants for jobs in the quantum sector are women—just one in 54. Furthermore, 80% of quantum companies reportedly lack any senior female figures. In Europe, the QuantERA network of research funders supports the development of quantum technologies. Across its first three calls (2017, 2019 and 2021), women researchers acted as principal investigators in 51 of 400 national research teams, and just nine women were among the 77 leaders of international research consortia  Yet this underrepresentation is not due to lack of interest. At university level, women enrolled in physical sciences and computing disciplines report comparable enthusiasm for quantum science as their male peers.To fully harness this interest, especially among women, it is important to foster cross-disciplinary pathways because quantum sciences rely on many diverse fields. Calls for change are growing: A group of physics professors initiated the Women for Quantum (W4Q) Manifesto ofValues, with more than 150 signatories at the time of writing, advocating for a more inclusive future in quantum. To inform global efforts, UNESCO has partnered with IBM and the Unitary Foundation to launch a Global Survey onthe Research Status and Infrastructure in Quantum Science and Technology. Preliminary findings show that a third of respondents work around mostly male researchers in quantum sciences at their institution, a quarter reported gender balance, and another third said they did not know or data were not available regarding gender distribution at their institution. Reported challenges facing women in the field include, among others, a lack of role models or mentors, challenges in achieving work-life balance including a lack of family-friendly policies, and limited representation of women in leadership positions. Respondents highlighted needed actions to improve gender equity, ranging from mentorship and recognition to targeted resourcing and inclusive policies. 

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