women in leadership role in scientific research prof asma ismail ( phd), fasc deputy...
TRANSCRIPT
Women in Leadership Role in Scientific
Research
Prof Asma Ismail ( PhD), FAScDeputy Vice-Chancellor, Research and
Innovation,Professor, Institute for Research in Molecular
Medicine (INFORMM) - HiCoE,Chancellory, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800
Penang, Malaysia
High-level International Roundtable for Women in Leadership Roles in Science and Technology –
Getting there Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
4-5 Sept. 2012
•Address issues as to why women are under-represented in leadership positions in scientific research. •Ways to access to top leading positions•Ways to prevent women from reaching to the top leading positions•Characteristics of successful women leaders•Getting women to the top•S&T scenario in Malaysia•Malaysian Women decision makers in public sector research•Way forward
Objectives
Introduction : The big question
•With accessibility to higher education, women have made significant achievements in scientific disciplines.•Unfortunately, women are still under-represented in leadership positions in scientific research.•Only 15% of full professors in European Universities are women•Why are there so few women in decision –making positions in research and why is this a problem?•Target: Need to reach 25% of women in leading positions in public sector research
•EC’s roadmap for equality between Women and Men. 2006 -2010•http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/news/2006/mar/como6092_roadmap_en.pdf
.
Introduction : The big question
•Women are under represented on decision-making scientific boards in almost all European countries.
•This means that the collective opinions of women are less likely to be voiced in the country’s policy and in decision –making process
•If women scientists are not visible and not seen to be succeeding in their careers, they cannot serve as role models to attract and retain young women in scientific profession
Introduction : The big question
•The under representation of women is probably reflected by the small pool of women research icons to start with.
• The small pool is due to the fact that there are more hurdles to overcome among women then men.
•The social-work balance are among the major hurdles faced.
Source: Prof Aini Idiris Knowledge Society &the Status of Women in Science in Malaysia,2010
Social-work balance
Introduction : The big question
• Looking at the big picture. Women makes up at least 50% of the population. Not using women means you do not capitalise at least 50% of labour force. What a waste of research talent and mega investment in their postgraduate training .
•Henceforth there is a need to change the status quo. Women must be made part of the new R&D challenge.
•The STE Policy of the country must be able to address the gaps.
Ways to access to leading positions can vary widely:
• Nominated positions• Elected via election system among members of institution• Made a previous career inside a think tank and escalate from
their position to the top• Having a Godfather/God mother phenomenon• Studies have shown that most women who lead think tanks
are in the areas of social development or economics and with an education comparable to their men peers (http://onthinktanks.org/2012/07/25/women-as-think-tank-leaders-around-the-world/
• We have to strategise by design rather than leave it to chance. Once a woman is successful we need to bring in more and increase the chance of success.
What are the ways to access to leading positions?
What prevents women to top leadership position?
Gender discrimination and under recognition of women at the work place
-Mainly by covert sexism and discrimination -Smaller research space-Smaller start-up packages and salaries-Higher teaching loads and administration-Fewer resources and lack of support
•“There is no problem” – denial stage” lack of awareness among male colleagues
What prevents women to top leadership position?
Lifestyle choices and family obligations
•How many of us lament on this torn feeling:“When I am at work, I feel guilty that I am not with my family and when I am with my family I feel guilty that I am not working” -When husband and wife are working and trying to build each others career. Often the wife “trails” behind the husband. -With children factor coming in, women have less career mobility, could not stay later for meetings and discussions and lab experiments, could not have enough papers necessary for promotions.
-Is the woman at fault or is society and environment not addressing the issue
-Lack or resource and support, many left the STEM career or hard core research areas.
• Smaller pool of research icons as role models and mentors hence smaller choice to move to the top
• Unable to enhance the pool of future women in research leadership• Young researchers are not presented with
many examples of women role models and mentors to give advise, to motivate them with positive attitudes, to boost self-confidence and self efficacy, and teach them discipline and working smart
• Without these role models many young women do not venture into STEM types of research
What prevents women to top leadership position?
What are the characteristics of successful women leaders in scientific research?
•Women have broken the “glass ceiling” and many are in the position of power. •What kind of leadership do they display?
•Males generally display Transactional leadership (keep people in line, give directions, praising and punishing)
•Females generally display Transformational leadership (inspiring workers, promote innovation, serve as a role model and build a community).This type of leadership is a more effective method of leading people (Eagly et al, 2003. Transformational, transactional, abd laissea-faire leadership styles: A meta-analysis comparing women and men. Psychological Bulletin, 129: 569-591)
•Yet in a study of Women Presidents of universities, women display androgynous (genderless) leadership styles (Madsen, S.R. 2008. On becoming a woman leader. San Francisco, CA.: Jossey-Bass)
What are the characteristics of successful women leaders in scientific research?
Most successful women:•Display both stereotypical male and female behaviours•Women pioneers in leadership positions were advised to” act like a man”: power dressing suits, never showing emotion, playing hardball.•Women in science who are successful were often described as “one of the boys”.•Many successful females do not have children but with supportive husbands •Many successful women have good family support
•It is obvious that to reach leadership position, a woman has to overcome not only content (expert in her discipline) but also her leadership style. Accessibility to higher education is a pre-requisite.
•Today women’s leadership in science has become transformational leadership, relational leadership, collaborative leadership. (Grogan And Shakeshaft, 2011, Women and Educational leadership. San Francisco, CA., Jossey-Bass)
•All the signs of the current way to do research
Measures aimed at advancing women’s position as research leaders
• We need a commitment among the political leaders to fully commit to the concept of equality to ensure quality of research
•Gender equality in science is not simply a question of fairness. To strengthen research ..total human capital must be utilised.A better gender balance means the universities will secure the best research talents among both sexes and reflect population biodiversity…Improved gender balance in the academic staff will have positive effects on recruitment of female students and research fellows.
•EC’s roadmap for equality between Women and Men. 2006 -2010 http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/news/2006/mar/como6092_roadmap_en.pdf.
• Most of the time we worry about research merit to the point we tighten and ensure stringent criteria for research fundings that we do not think further whether it’s a woman or man applying.
•Women in the research panel also are not aware of what they should be looking out for. All are focusing on merit.
Measures aimed at advancing women’s position as research leaders •Ensure that we have equality regulations governing the research system. Equality is part of quality in science
•Increase public and research panel awareness on gender issues
•Ensure strategies and action plans are in place to advance gender equality in research
•A reasonable gender balance of 40 women to 60 men might be a good starting target
•Ensure that the working environment in research be updated to improve the current work-life balance for the benefit of both men and women
Measures aimed at advancing women’s position as research leaders
•Ensure transparency in funding procedures
•Training of new leaders and committee members on gender aspects.
•Enhance visibility of women in science by ensuring that nomination, promotion and appointment procedures for women in top position in is done in a transparent manner.
•Create high profile and prestigious prizes for women in science ( eg Loreal women in Science)
•Eradicate gender bias in research activities
•All institutions should provide sex disaggregated data on gender imbalance must be updated, assessed to inform decision-makers and the public
Science & Technology in Malaysia
• Malaysian Vision 2020 has clearly placed Science & Technology (S&T) and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a critical pathway to achieve the status of a developed nation and to help enhance Malaysia’s survival in the K-based economy.
• Emphasis on human resource development in S&T continues into the 10th Malaysia Plan (2011-2015), during which premier universities and Research institutes are expected to create centers of excellence for research.
Introduction to Science & Technology
Source: `Women in Science and Technology in Malaysia: A Gender Perspective’ by Rashidah Shuib, KANITA, USM
• The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) and the Ministry of Higher Education are the lead ministries that formulate policies in the area of science, technology and innovation for fundamental research (MOHE) and applied and commercialization of research (MOSTI) .
• Innovation aspects of Research are looked into by AIM (Agency Innovation Malaysia)
• Government based Venture Capitalists (MTDC, BiotechCorp, MAVCAP) look into pre-commercialization and commercialization of research
• MOSTI and Academy Sciences Malaysia (ASM) also implements many programmes related to the promotion of S&T and national R&D activities.
Science & Technology in Malaysia
Since R&D is the national agenda of the country, in the Malaysian Budget 2010, strategies as announced by Prime Minister for research in S&T include:- - Intensifying Research, Development and Commercialisation- Development of Green Technology- Enhancing Highly Skilled Human Capital
(Develop Intellectuals in Science and Technology)
Science & Technology in Malaysia
Policy on women participation
In STI in MalaysiaIs not there yet
The Malaysian Scenario
•In June 2011, with the help of Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development the Malaysian cabinet approved the policy of ensuring that 30% of women are at the decision making level in the private sector and that they are given a 5 year transition period to raise the number of women members in the board of directors of companies and hold top positions in their respective companies
•There is also a need to to ensure gender sensitive considerations in STI in the country
•Although the policy is there to ensure women representation, strategies towards realising this have to be done
•The Science Act for the country is currently being formulated
•Hence this workshop is timely
Lack of policy in S&T that addresses the needs of women to remain in S&T
• Malaysian S&T policy is a gender blind policy.
• Without the availability of sex-disaggregated data its difficult to perform a systematic gender analysis.
• Without undergoing gender tracking to find out the issues that take place as they go through the entire stage of their decision making process and without giving serious consideration as to the realities of life that women are facing in trying to balance between family and career, the existing policy will ensure women to remain status quo in their contribution to S&T.
Indonesian S&T Policy
• S&T development needs to apply gender perspective, so as to realize gender equality and justice (JAKSTRA IPTEK 3.1, Prinsip Dasar No.8)
• Studies to be carried out on the weaknesses of institutional structure which need to be overcome immediately in order to reduce the impact of socio-political gaps and provide support to gender equality through a harmonious atmosphere in order to continuously strengthen the basis for social solidarity. (JAKSTRA IPTEK 3.4, No 2:10)
This is in contrast to the Indonesian S&T policy:
Source: Ministry of Women, Family & Community Development
46.0
83.1 82.8 83.0 82.3 81.5 82.1 80.9 80.0 79.9
46.4
84.379.5
44.4 44.6 47.2 46.8 46.7 47.7 47.3 45.9 45.8
REALITY Labor Force Participation Rate by Sex, 1997-2007 (Malaysia)
Source: Ministry of Women, Family & Community Development
41.8
58.2 61.9
38.1 47.1
52.9 38.1
61.9
Accessibility to higher Education: Enrolment in Public Higher Learning Institutions by Level of Study and Sex, Year 2007/2008
Increased in female number for
undergrads but begin to drop off
at PhD – “leaky pipeline”
REALITY
Source: Ministry of Women, Family & Community Development
Year 2006 Year 2007/2008
49%
51% 35.9%
64.1%
21.6%
78.4%
53.1%
46.9%
36.4%23.1%
63.6%76.9%
Number of Female lecturers
decreased as we move towards
Professorship
Number of Academic Staff in Public Higher Learning Institutions, 2006 - 2007/2008 (Malaysia)
REALITY
Malaysian Women decision makers in public sector research contributing to STI •About 23% of women are Professors in Malaysian universities. •Decision-makers for Public sector grants:•MOHE Fundamental Grants (Ministry of Higher Education)
•Director MOHE grants –woman•Think tank committee – 3 women•VC -2 women•Deputy VC of research and innovation – 3/20 Univ are women of which the chair is a woman•Establishment of Research Universities and RU grants – 1 woman•Think tank for way forward for research universities – 2 women
Malaysian Women decision makers in public sector research contributing to STI
•Decision makers of MOSTI grants
•Chief Secretary – a woman•Deputy to Chief Secretary – 2 women•Think tank – several women•Chair Committee to formulate Science Act – woman•Chair to approve Science Act –Woman
• Malaysia is poised to make a difference and we must not miss the opportunity given.
•Reference•Mapping the Maze: Getting More Women to the Top in Research by European Commission
