Transcript Document 7277659
Women in scientific careers: current challenges and visions for the future
Dr. Liisa Husu Hanken School of Economics Helsinki, Finland Sauvons la recherche, Université d´automne, Toulouse, October 4, 2008
Why promote women and gender equality in science?
Human rights argument: – everybody should be able to realize her/his potential, regardless of gender Excellence and quality argument: – best brains and talents should be recruited to research, regardless of gender Husu 2008
...why promote
Scientific labour force argument – recruitment base for research is diminishing with smaller cohorts to recruit both women and men need National economy argument – it is economically wasteful for society not to utilize fully the talents of highly educated women (majority of graduates!) Husu 2008
Epistemological argument – researchers with more diverse (gender, ethnic, class etc.) backgrounds representing broader groups in society formulate more diverse and different research questions produce more multidimensional research Quality through diversity Husu 2008
European setting: slow progress
Majority of university graduates been women since the 1990s have Women earn 4 out of 10 doctorates Only 15% of full professors are women annual growth rate ca 1% units Across the EU, less than a third researchers women in 2004 of all Husu 2008
50 40 30 20 10 0 100 90 80 70 60 Proportion of women and men in academic careers and among graduates in EU-25, 1999-2003 (Source: She Figures 2006)
59 56 44 41 62 57 43 38 63 58 42 37 mä women03 men03 women99 men99
Grad uate s Ph.D
.s
Grad eC
Husu 2008
Grad eB Grad e A F ull p rof.
Fin Lith Po Sw uan Ice lan via on lan d ia ia n d Slo Ro vak ma Irel lan ia d nia and Bu No lga Sp Tur ria ain y key Hu nga ry Belg UK ium Slo Cze EU -25 ven ch R .
Net Sw Den ma rk her itze Ge lan rm Italy ds Isra Jap d el an Proportion of female researchers in higher education sector, 2003 ( source: She Figures 2006)
20 25 25 28 29 31 30 31 33 33 34 35 37 37 36 37 38 39 41 40 41 38 37 38 43 44 45 46 49 53 53 0 10 20 30 Husu 2008 40 50 60
35 30 25 20
Proportion of women at full professor (grade A) level in Europe in 2004 (source: EC She Figures 2006)
15 10 5 0 R om an ia La tv ia Tu rk ey Fi nl an d Po rtu ga l Po la nd Bu lg ar ia Sp ai n Es to ni a Sw itz er l.
Ita ly Fr an ce Sw ed en UK N or w ay H un ga ry EU -2 5 Ic el an d Sl ov ak ia Sl ov en ia Li th ua ni a G re ec e D en m ar k C ze ch Au st ria N et he rl.
G er m an y Be lg iu m Husu 2008
100 90 80 70
Proportion of women at full professor (grade A) level in Europe in 2004 (source: EC She Figures 2006)
30 20 10 60 50 40 0
R om an ia La tv ia Tu rk ey Fi nl an d Po rt ug al Po la nd B ul ga ria Sp ai n Es to ni a Sw itz er l.
Ita ly Fr an ce Sw ed en UK or w ay un
Husu 2008
ga ry EU -2 5 Ic el an d Sl ov ak ia Sl ov en Li ia th ua ni a G re ec D e en m ar k C ze ch A us tr ia N et he G rl.
er m an y B el gi um
Technology and business research: an overwhelmingly male domain
Over 90% of European engineering and technology professors are male Over 80% of researchers in the Business and Enterprise sector are male Husu 2008
Considerable diversity across Europe
in research intensity, scientific infrastructure, tertiary education intensity, history of women’s engagement in Higher Education and scientific professions, gender equality agendas, work-life balance provisions... Husu 2008
Common factors
a lack of gender balance in decision making about science policy and among those who determine what constitutes “good science”.
Teresa Rees: National Policies on Women and Science in Europe 2002 Husu 2008
Traditional frame to approach inequalities in science and academia
women are the problem to be fixed or that needs women have problems careers in research Husu 2008
Focus on scientific organisations
Change in conceptualising the debate on women in science in the 1990s: Focus on academic and scientific organisations : how they treat and approach women and men & produce, reproduce (or deconstruct!) gendered hierarchies and cultures Husu 2008
Only women have gender?
Men in science and academia also problematized Academic masculinities Men and academic networking Homosociability Master – apprentice relationships Husu 2008
Points of policy intervention (Harding & McGregor 1995) Assessmen t of environmen t Recruit ment Retention Separation
GENDER EQUITY FRAME WORK
Promotion Pay Training and Develop ment Husu 2008 Re-entry
Measures promoting gender equality in science in Europe
Equal treatment legislation Commitment to gender mainstreaming National committee on W & Science W & S unit in Research Ministry Sex-aggregated statistics Development of GE indicators Gender balance targets in public committees Gender balance targets in university com.
Gender equality plans in universities and res.inst.
Gender studies and research in universities Programmes on W & S, spec. funding available Nationwide centres on Women and Science Husu 2008
Main challenges in Europe
European Commission: Women in Science – Excellence and Innovation – Gender Equality in Science 2005 Empowering women in decision-making positions in research and technology Reconciliation of researchers´ professional and private life Gender and definition of scientific excellence Husu 2008
Strengthening of gender research Increasing the participation of women in science, technology and innovation Husu 2008
Future European priorities
European Commission: Women in Science – Excellence and Innovation – Gender Equality in Science 2005 Improving scientific excellence by promoting gender awareness and fairness Boosting the numbers of women in leading positions Husu 2008
Strengthening gender research and gender dimension in research Enhancing the role of women in engineering and innovations Research careers allowing for a reconciliation of professional and private life Husu 2008
Gender monitoring in the member states More efficient gender monitoring of the EU Research Framework Programmes Husu 2008
US NAS Report (2006)
Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering
by the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine of the National Academies Husu 2008
Key findings
Women have ability and drive to succeed in science and engineering Women who are interested in science and engineering careers are lost at every educational transition Problem not simply the pipeline Husu 2008
… NAS (2006)
Women are very likely to face discrimination in every field of science and engineering Most people, men and women, hold implicit gender biases Husu 2008
… NAS (2006)
Evaluation criteria contain arbitrary and subjective components which disadvantage women Organisational structures and rules in academia contribute significantly to the under-use of women in academic science and engineering Husu 2008
Women in scientific careers: state of the art today
Relative advances but continuing contradictions Can Europe afford the waste of talents?
Critical gender lense on research environments and conditions Husu 2008
Equality equals quality
Thorough institutional transformation towards greater gender awareness and fairness in all scientific organisations is absolutely necessary to keep the best talents in research and to reach excellence Husu 2008