September 5, 2018

How gender inequality holds female scientists back, and how to overcome it

Women underrepresented in leadership positions, subject to discrimination, bullying and sexual harassment.

A group of international women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. have turned the microscope on their own profession and discovered the barriers – from the “maternal wall” to the “boys’ club” to the “glass ceiling” – holding back women in their discipline.

They also identified seven changes that can be made to attract more women into those fields.

The researchers are part of the Women in Coastal Geoscience and Engineering (WICGE) network, spanning Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, France, the United Kingdom, Mexico and Spain.

Coastal geoscience and engineering (CGE) is a broad disciplinary field focused on physical processes at the interface of land and sea. Although women make up almost a third of the CGE community, they are consistently underrepresented in leadership positions.

The researchers analysed gender representation in the boards and committees of nine societies, 25 journals, and 10 conferences; additionally, they launched a global survey and obtained responses from 314 people.

The findings are published in Nature Publishing Group’s social sciences journal, Palgrave Communications with accompanying commentary in The Conversation.

Dr Sarah Hamylton, a coastal geographer in UOW’s School of Earth and Environmental Sciences who ran the survey said asked some forthright, open-ended questions about peoples’ experiences and observations of gender equality. Some of the answers that came back were harrowing.

“The day I went over the responses was one that I will never forget,” Dr Hamylton said.

“Stories of bullying, abortion and sexual harassment had me in tears at my desk. Inequality was consistent, pervasive and, in many cases, traumatic.”

Dr Hamylton said that they had tried to go beyond simply identifying the problem, to suggesting solutions. To this end, the scientists proposed seven practical steps towards achieving equity:

1. Advocate for more women in prestige roles.
2. Promote high-achieving females.
3. Create awareness of gender bias.
4. Speak up.
5. Get better support for returning to work after maternity leave.
6. Redefine success.
7. Encourage more women to enter the discipline at a young age.

The paper’s lead author, Associate Professor Ana Vila-Concejo from the University of Sydney’s Geocoastal Research Group, said the solutions were relevant for women in science and more generally.

“Our findings are important not only for our field of research but also for other fields in science, technology, engineering and mathematics – and beyond,” Professor Vila-Concejo said.

BARRIERS HOLDING WOMEN BACK

Gender stereotyping: was the most common manifestation of inequality in CGE. Stereotyping of women in STEM as not being as competent (particularly relating to their physical abilities during fieldwork), and not being taken seriously, is a key theme.

The “boys club”: in the experience of one survey respondent: “During a job interview, the lead engineer (male) was explaining how they have the 'boys club' here at the office. They did offer me the job, but I didn't want to work in that type of environment.”

The “maternal wall”: results from expectations that a woman’s job performance is impacted by her having children.

Microaggressions and harassment: being overlooked and ignored in favour of male colleagues was a key issue. One respondent noted: “Getting my first big grant and employing a male post doc – our project partners treated him as the boss”; another recalled comments about looks, such as “comments on my ‘pretty face’ being an asset for attracting clients”.

KEY FINDINGS

• Women represent 30 per cent of the international CGE community, yet are underrepresented in prestige roles such as journal editorial board members (15 per cent women) and conference organisers (18 per cent women).
• Female underrepresentation is less prominent when the path to prestige roles is clearly outlined and candidates can self-nominate or volunteer instead of the traditional invitation-only pathway.
• Of the 314 survey respondents (34 per cent male, 65 per cent female, and 1 per cent other), 81 per cent perceived the lack of female role models as a hurdle for gender equity. A significantly larger proportion of females (47 per cent) felt held back in their career due to gender in comparison with males (9 per cent).

ABOUT THE PAPER

‘Steps to improve gender diversity in coastal geoscience and engineering’ is published in Palgrave Communications with accompanying commentary in The Conversation.

Contributing organisations for this paper are: University of Sydney, Macquarie University, University of Wollongong, Bournemouth University, University of Waikato, Edge Hill University, University of Seville, National University of Ireland Galway, Flinders University, University of Baja California, University of Newcastle, University of Bordeaux, UNSW Sydney.