The report highlights that Croatia has made significant progress, ranking second overall in research and development in the EU, with a gender equality index of 79.6 (out of 100 points), according to the Croatian Government's Gender Equality Office.
Croatia ranks third for career advancement of women, fourth for female participation in research, and fifth for women's representation across all research sectors. It also holds the top position for the number of scientific publications authored by women.
However, Croatia has room for improvement in terms of women holding decision-making positions, as it ranks 26th in this area. Further steps are also needed to increase the share of female scientists and engineers within the overall workforce.
The three-year "She Figures" report on gender equality in research and innovation was published by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Research and Innovation to mark International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
The data was gathered across 44 countries, including EU member states, the United Kingdom, countries participating in the Horizon Europe programme, and, where available, G20 member states.
Key findings show that women outnumber men in university education but remain significantly underrepresented in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) employment and in leadership roles.
Additionally, a growing gender gap has been identified in critical sectors such as ICT (information and communication technology), where women make up only 22% of doctoral candidates, reflecting a concerning setback in gender equality.
"This not only deepens the existing skills shortage in the EU but also threatens long-term competitiveness. Gender disparities persist at the highest levels of research and innovation, with women making up just 9% of inventors, and 98% of research in the EU fails to integrate the gender dimension," the Gender Equality Office stated in a press release.
On the other hand, the report shows that significant progress has been made in the EU to promote gender equality in research and innovation, including the introduction of eligibility criteria for the Gender Equality Plan under Horizon Europe, which requires the integration of the gender dimension into research and innovation content for the majority of projects.
Another goal is to achieve 50% female representation on boards, expert groups and evaluation committees related to the Horizon Europe programme.