Gendered Innovations in Science, Health, and Technology

Abstract

Gendered innovations have brought significant change to science, health, and technology in terms of personnel, institutions, scientific insights, and technology design. Three approaches to gender equality have been taken by governments, universities, and individual scientists and engineers over the past three decades: Fix the Numbers of Women, Fix the Institutions, and Fix the Knowledge. The third approach employs sex and gender analysis to stimulate excellence in scientific knowledge and technology design. Science and engineering are self‐reinforcing systems, and change will require addressing each component of those systems. Recommendations are provided for policymakers, peer‐reviewed journal editors, university and industrial hiring committees, and educators. Realizing the full potential of gendered innovations will require deep international and interdisciplinary collaborations between gender experts, social and natural scientists, and engineers.