Abstract

The purpose of this IPS is to raise the awareness of the importance of increasing further the participation of women in existing and future activities of statistical research, encouraging women to take leading roles, as well as motivating young women to select it as their future carrier. Women's participation in statistical research increased substantially in the past few decades. However, the share in the highest leadership positions remains low. Contemporary statistical research enters a phase of rapid development owing to the fast-growing possibilities offered using novel information technologies and the increased need of society for more and more complex analyses of massive data relevant to various economic and social activities, which provides large opportunities for women to be an important part of this. Further increase in the involvement of women in statistical research is crucial both for the development of statistical research and for the empowerment of women by increasing their role in society. An example of a career of a unique pioneer in statistics, such as the extraordinary biography of Florence Nightingale David, may highly inspire women to enter statistical research. Making visible the contribution of women may create further motivation for entering statistical research and taking leadership roles on research teams or in statistical organizations related to different activity types, e. g. in governmental statistics or statistical societies, etc. Particular attention is to be paid to the motivation of female students to choose the direction of their career in statistics and data science, crucial for statistical research, by stimulating interest in statistics among women and encouraging female students in schools and colleges to study statistics by presenting the successful examples of women in statistics. All this is presented either through indicators, descriptions, and evidence-based reasoning provided for different countries, or a valuable experience of a biography of a distinguishing woman statistician, so covering the history and contemporary conditions, and providing a very wide perspective of women in statistics issues. Since the subject of the IPS touches on different aspects, challenges, and opportunities related to women’s promotion and engagement in statistical research in praxis broadly, and particularly in examples of official statistics of a government, health statistics, education, and within a statistical society of a long reputation, it might be interesting to ISI different Committees and Associations.