• Question: is science a sexist field of work?

    Asked by Jesssell21 to Anna, Hayley, Iain, Rebecca on 15 Jun 2015.
    • Photo: Iain Bethune

      Iain Bethune answered on 15 Jun 2015:

      Sadly, yes it is.

      It’s a fact that for Physics and Computational Science at least, that the proportion of females studying and employed drops off as they progress through school, university, PhD, research, to professorships. There is not one single reason why this is – I don’t think there is a lot of direct sexism any more, but many of us have unconscious biases that act against women.

      Universities are taking this really seriously, and there are lots of organisations that work towards increasing opportunities for women in science & technology. Look for departments certified by Athena Swan or Project Juno – which means they have policies in place to prevent discrimination (not just on gender, but on age, sexual orientation, religion etc.).

      There is lots of information, research, and inspiring stories on the WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) website https://www.wisecampaign.org.uk

      So don’t be put off – anyone can be a good scientist!

      It’s worth noting that some fields like Veterinary Medicine have the opposite effect – more women than men!

    • Photo: Anna Kutner

      Anna Kutner answered on 15 Jun 2015:

      I agree with Iain. WISE is a very good website and there are more. In my field of work there is also STEM Women: http://www.stemwomen.net/ and WiN:Women in Nuclear http://www.womeninnuclear.org.uk/

      But most importantly – girls, don’t get disheartened. If you want to study a STEM discipline – DO! Just remember that in order to succeed in STEM, you need to be determined, have a plan and know your worth. But it’s so worth it. Studying and working in a scientific field is an exciting experience which will open your horizons more than any other discipline… OK, I’m a bit biased here 🙂

    • Photo: anon

      anon answered on 15 Jun 2015:

      I agree that with Rebecca and Iain – there definitely is discrimination in science. But we are working on this and definitely making progress – and it shouldn’t put you off. Like Iain said, anyon can be a good scientist 🙂

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