Women's growing access to education is gradually transforming European society, opening up new opportunities for participation in politics, public administration, scientific research and other traditionally male-dominated
professions. Over recent decades, women have made significant progress in higher education and professional development, becoming increasingly influential in shaping economic, social and political priorities. Although gender equality has not yet been fully achieved, the growing number of women in highly skilled professions demonstrates that this transformation is continuing.
Science and engineering are among the areas where this progress is particularly visible. According to the latest Eurostat figures, women accounted for 41% of all scientists and engineers in the European Union in 2025. The EU had approximately 20.2 million people working in these professions, including 8.2 million women. These figures highlight the increasingly important contribution women make to Europe's scientific and technological development.
The geographical distribution of female scientists and engineers also reveals interesting differences between EU regions. Île-de-France, the region surrounding Paris, recorded the highest number of women working in science and engineering, with 336,300. However, women represented 38% of all scientists and engineers in the region. Other major centres included Germany's Nordrhein-Westfalen, with 281,400 women (35%), and Bayern, with 271,100 (35%).
Spain, the Netherlands and Portugal also demonstrated strong results. The Spanish region of Este recorded 279,400 female scientists and engineers, representing 46% of the total. West-Nederland had 271,600 women (40%), while Portugal's Continente registered 265,100 (46%).
Particularly encouraging is the fact that women represented more than half of all scientists and engineers in ten EU regions in 2025. Most of these regions were located in southern Europe, including four in Spain, two in Portugal and one in Greece. The remaining regions were Makroregion centralny in Poland, northern Sweden and the French outermost regions. Among them, Spain's Noreste recorded the highest number, with 102,700 female scientists and engineers, accounting for 51% of the regional total.
These statistics demonstrate that women's participation in science is no longer limited to a small number of countries or research centres. It is becoming an increasingly significant feature of the European labour market, although considerable differences remain between regions and professional sectors.
Education remains one of the most important instruments for achieving further progress. Greater access to universities, postgraduate programmes, scientific research and professional training enables women to develop their expertise and compete for leadership positions. Their growing presence in research institutions, universities, government bodies and political organisations also contributes to more diverse decision-making and a broader range of perspectives.
Nevertheless, the 41% figure indicates that gender equality in science and engineering remains an unfinished task. Further efforts are needed to improve women's access to senior academic positions, research funding and leadership opportunities, while addressing persistent inequalities in recruitment and career development.
Europe's future competitiveness will depend partly on its ability to make full use of its human potential. Encouraging women to pursue scientific careers, supporting their professional advancement and ensuring equal opportunities are therefore not simply questions of social justice. They are also important conditions for innovation, economic development and the EU's long-term technological leadership. Photo by Mossadegh-keller and Mailfert, Wikimedia commons.
