Stemmed — How Women’s Scientific Careers Have Been Thwarted, and What Can be Done about It

This presentation concerns the results of a qualitative study of 40 women in science, in the context of a broader quantitative survey of intimidation and harassment of scientists, including women scientists. The study includes examination of culture, voice, class and the domestic sphere as they affect women scientists, and (from the survey as well as the interviews) analysis of the patterns, forms and effects of harassment of women scientists. It addresses such questions as: What are the existing barriers that must be overcome? What do women scientists need at home, and at work? Is it all about having superior individual qualities? What can the science institutes (such as universities) do for women scientists? We observed how male scientists: reinforce power; benefit from a gender wage gap; disproportionately reap rewards and get promoted; and avoid the double jeopardy of race and gender. We also investigated a little-explored dimension – the class barrier. We assess whether science institutes can help increase women scientists’ representation, including by: funding awards and granting opportunities; catering for parental needs; being more flexible; promoting women at all levels; promoting female leadership; mentoring; confronting racism; agitating the state to get back adequate funding; and perhaps most innovatively by establishing ‘fairness guarantee units’, the nature and function of which we outline.