The head of the academy that awards Nobel Prizes has ruled out having quotas for gender and ethnicity when selecting laureates of the prestigious award.
Goran Hansson, the head of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, said people should win a Nobel Prize 'because they made the most important discovery' - not because of their gender or ethnicity.
The Swedish scientist said the Nobel Prize committee have discussed the prospect of giving more prizes to women based on their gender, but decided that it would be 'considered that those laureates got the prize because they are women, not because they are the best'.
He added that because there are no quotas, there is 'no doubt' that scientists like Emmanuelle Charpentier or Esther Duflo were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and economic sciences respectively because they 'made the most important contributions'.
Since the first Nobel Prize was awarded in 1901, 59 of the prestigious awards have gone to women, which is 6.2 per cent of the total.
Goran Hansson, the head of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, said people should win a Nobel Prize 'because they made the most important discovery' - not because of their gender or ethnicity
Investigative journalist Maria Ressa of the Philippines shared the Nobel Peace Prize this year and was the only woman honoured this year. Marie Curie was the first woman to get the prize, and remains the only woman to get it twice.
Hansson, who heads the Academy that awards the chemistry, economics and physics prizes, said the low number of women Nobel laureates reflects 'the unfair conditions in society'.
He said: 'It's sad that there are so few women Nobel laureates and it reflects the unfair conditions in society, particularly in years past but still existing. And there's so much more to do.
'We have decided we will not have quotas for gender or ethnicity. We want every laureate to be accepted... because they made the most important discovery, and not because of gender or ethnicity.'
Hansson added: 'In the end, we will give the prize to those who are found the most worthy, those who have made the most important contributions.
'And that is in line with the spirit of Alfred Nobel's last will.'
Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel founded the Nobel prizes in his will, which was written in 1895, a year before his death.
Investigative journalist Maria Ressa of the Philippines shared the Nobel Peace Prize this year and was the only woman honoured this year
Other organisations such as the Oscars have set quotas for nominees based on their gender, sex or race. In 2020, the Oscars set new diversity rules which means films hoping to win Best Picture from 2024 will have to hire more black, female, LGBT or disabled cast and crew or address themes that affect those communities.
But Hansson said the Nobel Prize committee will not follow suit. He said they had discussed the notion that giving more prizes to women would send a strong signal.
'But then it would be, we fear, considered that those laureates got the prize because they are women, not because they are the best,' Hansson explained.
He added: 'Now, there's no doubt that scientists like Emmanuelle Charpentier and Esther Duflo got the prize because they made the most important contributions.'
Last year, Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing the tools to edit DNA - becoming the first two women to share the honour. In 2019, Duflo won the Nobel Prize in economic sciences.
Hansson said so few women are awarded laureates because of the 'unfair conditions in society'. He added that there are an increasing number of women being awarded prizes in sciences but admitted it is 'from a very low level'.
'Keep in mind that only about 10 per cent of the professors in natural sciences in western Europe or North America are women, and even lower if you go to East Asia,' Hansson explained.
But the scientist said in the future, the committee will make sure to have more women scientists being invited to nominate.
Hansson said: 'We will make sure that we have an increasing portion of women scientists being invited to nominate.
'And we will continue to make sure we have women on our committees, but we need help, and society needs to help here.
'We need different attitudes to women going into sciences... so that they get a chance to make these discoveries that are being awarded.'
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