Women scarce in male-dominated Nobel history

STOCKHOLM - The Nobel Prize statistics are dour reading for women, who've been awarded only one of every 20 prizes. And while the numbers are slowly improving, the Sunday prize ceremony will be an all-male affair for the second straight year.

The Nobel Prizes for medicine, physics, chemistry, literature and economics are awarded in Sweden, and the one for peace in Norway - two pioneering countries in the area of women's rights who proudly boast of their politics promoting gender equality.

While the number of women Nobel laureates has risen in recent decades, the 48 women crowned over the years represent just 5 percent of the 896 people honored, excluding organizations.