From Policy to Practice: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Real Effects of SDG5 on Gender Equality in STEM Disciplines

The realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) hinges on the comprehensive fulfillment of the needs of all global citizens, particularly women. Introduced in 2015, SDG5 calls for collective action to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, a pivotal objective that underpins the success of the entire SDG framework (Beloskar et al., 2024). Despite considerable attention to advancing gender equality across various contexts, there remains a lack of empirical research evaluating the actual progress of SDG5 within the field of scientific discoveries – an essential element influencing real-world practice, policy formulations, organizational decisions, and individual behaviors (Laudan, 1984).

In fact, gender inequality in academia has long been a documented issue, especially in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines. Previous studies have shown that women, compared to their male counterparts, publish approximately one-third fewer papers (Mairesse & Pezzoni, 2015), generate fewer commercial outcomes (Whittington & Smith-Doerr, 2005), and receive less recognition for their scientific contributions (Ross et al., 2022). Given that SDG5 aims to enhance the status of women, there is an expectation for increased involvement of female researchers in this area of study, both to advocate for their common interests and to provide a richer diversity of perspectives. However, the degree to which the academic achievements of female researchers, such as their citation impact, are recognized on an equitable basis continues to be a matter of uncertainty. This ongoing issue raises concerns about the fairness and inclusivity of academic evaluation processes.

Against this backdrop, our study examines the current progress of the SDG5 initiatives within the STEM disciplines through a bibliometric analysis. Using a large scale dataset sourced from Scopus (and SciVal), one of the largest bibliometric databases in the world, we conducted comparative exploratory analyses to investigate the gender differences in both scientific activeness (i.e., the number of articles) and scientific performance (i.e., the citation of articles) under SDG5. Our empirical analysis reveals that the STEM disciplines are less attentive on SDG5 topics. In addition, female scholars tend to publish more SDG5 studies but exert less impact on academic society compared to their male counterparts.

The findings of this study provide significant implications for future policy development. First, by scrutinizing the progress of SDG5, our research will inform the refinement of policies to better reflect the changing landscape of gender equality as we approach the target year of 2030. This assessment allows for necessary adaptations and adjustments to be made, ensuring that policies are more effectively aligned with the evolving dynamics of gender equality. Second, this research will provide an in-depth analysis of gender equality within the academic sphere, offering nuanced insights into the challenges and disparities that persist. Lastly, as scientific research plays a critical role at the forefront of economics, policy development, and organizational and individual decision-making, this study will also offer valuable practical insights into gender equality in broader areas.