Croatia's Rudjer Boskovic Institute (IRB), the premier scientific institution in the country based in Zagreb, employs a higher ratio of women than men, placing it above EU and world averages in the participation of women in science, the IRB said in a press release marking February 11, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

In order to mark the occasion, IRB’s women scientists sent out a message on Monday to all girls and young women.

“Science enables one to constantly keep learning to adopt new knowledge and experience. It is global in character, so you have a chance to meet new people and cultures. Every step you make in science is challenging and sometimes it needs a bit of courage to engage in science, but every new discovery represents indescribable pleasure,” women of IRB said in the press release.

They invited their colleagues of tomorrow, who are girls today, to join them and embark on the adventure of science.

IRB employs a total of 880 people, including 427 holding Doctor of Science degree, 246 of which are women, which is a 58 percent share. The share of laboratory heads run by the institute is 50 percent, IRB said, and four out of 11 of its department heads are women.

According to Eurostat data from 2017, women make up 41 percent of all scientists and engineers in the EU, and according to Unesco stats from 2018 women made up merely 30 percent of all people working in science around the world in the period from 2014 to 2016.

In Croatia, women make up 48 percent of everyone employed in the science and research sector, which thus makes IRB above the Croatian, EU, and global averages in the participation of women.

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