BEN LEITCH DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER

Since its global launch in 1998, the initiative has honoured more than 4,700 researchers worldwide, including 63 from the Gulf Cooperation Council( GCC), awarding millions in endowments to support groundbreaking work. These numbers matter because they highlight both progress and potential.

Cultural expectations, limited access to funding and underrepresentation in leadership roles continue to constrain progress.

The challenge is not simply participation, it is retention and advancement. Too often, women enter scientific fields but struggle to climb into senior research positions or decision‐making roles.

This is where governments, universities and private sector actors must step in. Scholarships, mentorship programmes and targeted funding for female‐led research are not luxuries; they are necessities if the region is serious about harnessing its full intellectual capital.

The future is promising if bold action is taken. The Middle East is investing heavily in knowledge economies. These national agendas cannot succeed without women at the forefront. The L’ Oréal‐UNESCO programme has proven that talent exists in abundance. The next step is to institutionalise support so that women’ s participation in science is not the exception celebrated annually, but the norm embedded daily.

The success stories are compelling. From climate change research to cardiovascular health, aerospace robotics and food security, Arab women are tackling some of the world’ s most urgent challenges.

Their contributions are not symbolic; they are substantive, advancing knowledge and offering solutions with global relevance. The programme’ s visibility has helped dismantle stereotypes, proving that women in the region are not confined to the margins of STEM but are central to its evolution.

Yet celebration must be tempered with realism. Despite these achievements, women still represent a minority in STEM fields across the Middle East, and structural barriers persist.

The Middle East cannot afford to treat women in science as a side narrative. In a region striving to diversify economies beyond oil, female scientists represent an untapped catalyst for innovation. Their perspectives enrich research, their leadership strengthens institutions and their visibility inspires future generations.

The L’ Oréal‐UNESCO programme has laid a foundation, spotlighting extraordinary women and proving what is possible. But the baton must now be passed to policymakers, universities and industry leaders.

Cultural expectations, limited access to funding and underrepresentation in leadership roles continue to constrain progress. The fact that a programme like L’ Oréal‐UNESCO remains necessary after more than a decade is itself telling.

They must build structures that ensure women are not only recognised but resourced, not only celebrated but sustained. p

18 INTELLIGENTCIO MIDDLE EAST www. intelligentcio. com