Podcast: data on women in research and innovation

In this episode of the Eurostat podcast Stats in a Wrap we explore what is driving inequalities in the work lives between men and women, particularly in research and innovation, and why their careers still look so different. Why do women make up only 9% of all innovators? And why are 90% of patent applications from men-only or male-majority teams?

As it turns out, we can find the answers in numbers, trends and hard evidence that Eurostat collects across Europe. In the podcast, we meet some of the people behind She Figures, the European Commission's flagship publication which tracks gender equality, specifically in research and innovation. The publication, produced every 3 years, relies on Eurostat data.

Our host Jonathan Elliot is joined by Marina Perez Julian, statistician and gender statistics coordinator at Eurostat, and Daniela Enache, statistician at the Science, Technology, Innovation and Digitalisation unit at Eurostat. Anne Laure Humbert, professor of gender and statistics at the University of Gothenburg and lead researcher on the She Figures Index, and Oriane Gilloz, policy officer at the gender sector of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, also take part in the podcast.

In this podcast, our guests discuss how Eurostat's harmonised methodologies can be used to disclose regional disparities and also highlight best practices. This can give a better understanding of what's behind the gender gaps in pay, access to leadership roles, or how care responsibilities quietly shape entire career paths. In the context of gender equality, statistics can show where inequalities persist, who is being left behind and what interventions are working.

If you are enjoying our podcasts and have a particular topic you would like us to cover, make your voice heard by sharing your suggestions with our user support team.

Listen to the episodes on the Eurostat website and the European Commission Audiovisual Service. You can also subscribe to our podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or via our RSS feed.

The opinions expressed in the podcasts reflect solely the point of view of the speakers and can in no way be taken to reflect the position of Eurostat, the European Commission, or the European Union.