2011 has been designated by UNESCO as the International Year of Chemistry (IYC 2011). The goals of IYC2011 are to increase the public appreciation of chemistry, to encourage interest in chemistry among young people, to generate enthusiasm for the creative future of chemistry and to underline the critical role it plays in a sustainable future. The year 2011 will coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Prize awarded to Madame Marie Sklodowska Curie and is an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of women to science.

The International Women's Day people the world over are celebrating the achievements of women in virtually every aspect of life. More than 1700 events around the globe are planned to mark the event, in fact, including nearly 250 in the United States alone. Here in the high-tech world we clearly have our own female luminaries and key players, perhaps even more notable for their success in what's still largely a male-dominated field. What better time, then, to celebrate them and all they've brought to the industry?

Researchers have found that wage differences within a company decrease when something seemingly unrelated to the workplace occurs: when male CEOs have daughters.

Women are deserting the technology sector, according to the United Nations International Telecommunications Union (ITU), based in Geneva. The ITU is having a debate with high-profile women leaders in the sector on Thursday to find ways of ending the trend. One of those high-powered leaders is Doreen Bogdan-Martin, chief of strategic planning and membership at the ITU. She says many women deem careers in technology less prestigious than other jobs that might make more of an impact or help others more.

In 1906, a woman by the name of Welthy Fisher launched a school in China to give girls the skills they needed in order to play a greater role in their society. The teaching tools this 27-year-old woman relied upon were books and chalkboards, paper and pens. Now, more than a century later, the organization she founded finds itself in an era where information and communication technologies (ICT) are being used at an increasing rate to improve education and learning environments. But will these new tools really make a difference for girls and women in disadvantaged areas across the globe?

When researchers asked managers in the information systems field about the challenges women in the profession face, they uncovered a serious gender gap: male and female managers think about the problem in very different ways. Understanding this gap could lead to more effective programs to address gender-based issues and to change the field’s culture.

As part of an effort to encourage more young women to choose careers in technology, the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) and the University of Colorado, the Colorado School of Mines and the Colorado Coalition for Gender & IT recognized 26 Colorado high-school women for their accomplishments and aspirations in computing and technology. These young women were Colorado Affiliate winners of the 2011 NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing, which recognizes high school women for their outstanding aptitude and interest in technology and computing, leadership ability, academic history and plans for post-secondary education.

The Center for Women and Information Technology CWIT, at UMBC is pleased to announce that the CWIT Student Council, a recognized student organization at UMBC, was recently awarded a $500 seed fund grant from The National Center for Women & Information Technology’s Academic Alliance and ReturnPath. The purpose of the grant to student organizations is to promote an increased presence of women in computing and IT programs on Academic Alliance member campuses.

International Women's Day, 8 March, is celebrated this year for the 100th time. It started in four European Countries (Austria, Germany, Denmark and Switzerland) and Europe has been at the forefront of promoting gender equality. From workers’ rights to female astronauts – International Women’s Day has marked a century of economic, social, political and cultural achievements of women around the world. Today, the European Commission continues to take concrete actions to further strengthen gender equality.

Corporate Europe is still a man's world: just one in 10 board members at Europe's biggest companies are women and in 97% of cases the board is chaired by a man. Studies show that businesses with more women at the top outperform “men only” companies. Their operating income is higher and they are better at attracting talent and understanding customers. Making the most of Europe's female talent in the workforce is not just good for business – it also benefits the economy and society as a whole. Women represent 60% of university graduates, but continue to be under-represented in economic decision-making posts. At a specially convened summit in Brussels today, European Commission Vice-President Viviane Reding will meet CEOs and chairs of boards of publicly listed companies from 10 European countries.