International Day of Women and Girls in Science
A/RES/70/212
A/RES/70/212
This authority record treats the observance as a fixed annual date. The same month and day can be reused unless a stronger source changes the rule. Public-holiday or government status is never inferred from the observance name alone.
Overview
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science is observed on 11 February. The United Nations General Assembly established the day through resolution A/RES/70/212 in 2015.
The observance promotes full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls. It is a science-participation and equality observance, not a general substitute for International Women’s Day.
Why it matters
Participation in science depends on more than individual interest. Access to education, mentoring, funding, safe workplaces, recognition and leadership opportunities can all affect who is able to enter and remain in scientific fields.
A strong guide should avoid implying that women and girls form one uniform group or that representation gaps have one universal cause. Experiences differ across countries, disciplines and social contexts.
History
The United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/70/212 in December 2015 and proclaimed 11 February as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
The observance is used to promote equal access to and participation in science and to highlight the contribution of women and girls to scientific research and innovation.
How the observance developed
This timeline is assembled only from verified provenance fields. Missing stages are omitted rather than inferred.
Malta
The UN General Assembly Second Committee records Malta introducing A/C.2/70/L.4 on 12 November 2015 on behalf of the sponsors; the revised text became the International Day of Women and Girls in Science and led to A/RES/70/212.
United Nations General Assembly
UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/70/212
First documented observance
UN/UNESCO material identifies 11 February 2016 as the first International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
What the evidence establishes
Verified institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Fields that the reviewed sources do not establish remain fail-closed and are available below without competing with the confirmed record.
4 fields not established in reviewed sources
Ways to observe
Profile scientists from different fields and regions, using reliable biographies that credit their actual work rather than reducing them to inspirational slogans.
Review participation data for a school, institution or field and discuss what the numbers do and do not show.
Invite researchers or students to describe practical barriers and supports in scientific education and careers.
Highlight pathways into laboratory, computational, field, engineering and interdisciplinary work rather than presenting science as one career type.
Avoid tokenizing individual scientists or asking women and girls to represent an entire group.
Useful facts
The day is observed on 11 February.
The UN General Assembly established it through resolution A/RES/70/212.
The observance promotes full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls.
Its scope is more specific than International Women’s Day.
The reviewed source does not establish why 11 February itself was selected.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Evidence & sources
Repeated links from the authority record, institutional provenance and editorial guide research are consolidated here. Badges show how each source is used; a contextual source is never treated as proof of establishment on its own.
United Nations Digital Library — A/RES/70/212 (opens in a new tab)
United Nations General Assembly Second Committee — proposal status for A/C.2/70/L.4, introduced by Malta (opens in a new tab)
United Nations General Assembly — A/70/474/Add.2, Malta introduction and revised draft history (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — International Day of Women and Girls in Science (opens in a new tab)
Dedicated Authoritative Page
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then use reviewed distinctions and related authority records to understand where this observance fits.
Frequently asked questions
When is International Day of Women and Girls in Science?
11 February The stored recurrence guidance is: 11 February.
Does International Day of Women and Girls in Science fall on the same date every year?
The authority record classifies it as fixed annual, so its month and day are reusable unless stronger evidence changes the rule.
Is International Day of Women and Girls in Science an official public holiday?
The authority record verifies it within this scope: United Nations international observance. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when the supporting authority record explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes International Day of Women and Girls in Science?
The reviewed provenance layer identifies United Nations General Assembly as the proclaiming or establishing body. The proposer or originator is recorded separately as Malta.
Is International Day of Women and Girls in Science international or country-specific?
The record has international or global institutional scope: United Nations international observance. That does not mean every country treats the date as a public holiday or observes it in the same way.
How is this page verified?
The factual layer is source-backed and keeps its date rule, scope, provenance and editorial guardrails attached to the authority record. This record was checked on 2026-09-05.
Who established the International Day of Women and Girls in Science?
The United Nations General Assembly established the observance through resolution A/RES/70/212 in 2015.
Is it the same as International Women’s Day?
No. International Women’s Day has a broad women’s rights and equality scope, while 11 February focuses specifically on access to, participation in and contributions to science.
Why does this guide not explain why 11 February was chosen?
The reviewed UN source establishes the date and purpose but does not provide a sufficiently clear origin reason for selecting 11 February, so this guide does not invent one.
How this differs from closely related observances
These distinctions are separately reviewed and source-backed. They clarify scope; they do not change either authority record.
Is International Day of Women and Girls in Science the same as International Women's Day?
International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11 February focuses specifically on equal access to and participation in science. International Women’s Day on 8 March has a much broader women’s rights, equality and social participation scope.
Open International Women's Day →Distinction sources
Other observances on February 11
These records also resolve to February 11, 2027 under the current authority data.
112 Day
The Finnish Government states that 112 Day is observed every year on 11 February to raise awareness about safety and correct use of the emergency number.
Digital Learning Day
All4Ed’s current Digital Learning Day page asks participants to mark the second Thursday in February and lists February 12 for 2026.
National Foundation Day
Prime Minister’s Office of Japan
National Inventors’ Day
The U.S. Census Bureau identifies 11 February as National Inventors’ Day and references the presidential proclamation establishing the observance
National Make a Friend Day
National Today and Days Of The Year independently place National Make a Friend Day on February 11 each year.
Peppermint Patty Day
Two Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals chapter calendars list Peppermint Patty Day on 11 February.