Women in scientific careers: Women in scientific careers:

current challenges and current challenges and visions for the futurevisions for the future

Dr. Liisa HusuDr. Liisa Husu

Hanken School of EconomicsHanken School of Economics

Helsinki, FinlandHelsinki, Finland

Sauvons la recherche, Université d´automne, Toulouse, October 4, 2008 Sauvons la recherche, Université d´automne, Toulouse, October 4, 2008

Husu 2008Husu 2008

Why promote women and gender Why promote women and gender equality in science?equality in science?

Human rightsHuman rights argument: argument:– everybody should be able to realize everybody should be able to realize

her/his potential, regardless of genderher/his potential, regardless of gender

Excellence and qualityExcellence and quality argument: argument:– best brains and talents should be best brains and talents should be

recruited to research, regardless of recruited to research, regardless of gender gender

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...why promote...why promote

Scientific labour force argumentScientific labour force argument– recruitment base for research is recruitment base for research is

diminishing with smaller cohorts diminishing with smaller cohorts need need to recruit both women and men to recruit both women and men

National economy argumentNational economy argument– it is economically wasteful for society it is economically wasteful for society

not to utilize fully the talents of highly not to utilize fully the talents of highly educated women (majority of educated women (majority of graduates!)graduates!)

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Epistemological argumentEpistemological argument– researchers with more diverse (gender, ethnic, researchers with more diverse (gender, ethnic,

class etc.) backgrounds representing broader class etc.) backgrounds representing broader groups in societygroups in society

formulate more diverse and differentformulate more diverse and different

research questionsresearch questions

produce more multidimensional researchproduce more multidimensional research

Quality through diversityQuality through diversity

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European setting: slow progressEuropean setting: slow progress

Majority of university graduatesMajority of university graduates have have been women since the 1990sbeen women since the 1990s

Women earn 4 out of 10 doctoratesWomen earn 4 out of 10 doctorates

Only Only 15% of full professors15% of full professors are women - are women - annual growth rate ca annual growth rate ca 1% units1% units

Across the EU, Across the EU, less than a thirdless than a third of all of all researchers women in 2004researchers women in 2004

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mä

Proportion of women and men in academic careers and among graduates in EU-25, 1999-2003

(Source: She Figures 2006)

59

43 42

32

15

41

57 58

68

85

56

38 37

30

13

44

63

70

87

62

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Graduates

Ph.D.sGradeC

GradeBGrade A Full prof.

women03men03women99men99

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Proportion of female researchers in higher education sector, 2003 (source: She Figures 2006)

202525

2829

303131

3333

3435

3637373737

383838

3940

4141

4344

4546

495353

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Japan

Israel

Germany

Switzerland

Netherlands

Austria

Italy

Denmark

Czech R.

Slovenia

France

EU-25

BelgiumUK

Hungary

Greece

Turkey

Norway

Spain

Bulgaria

Ireland

Romania

Poland

Slovakia

Iceland

Sweden

Estonia

Portugal

Lithuania

Latvia

Finland

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Proportion of women at full professor (grade A) level in Europe in 2004 (source: EC She Figures 2006)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Husu 2008Husu 2008

Proportion of women at full professor (grade A) level in Europe in 2004

(source: EC She Figures 2006)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Husu 2008Husu 2008

Technology and business research: Technology and business research: an overwhelmingly male domainan overwhelmingly male domain

Over 90% of European engineering and Over 90% of European engineering and

technology professors are male technology professors are male

Over 80% of researchers in the Business Over 80% of researchers in the Business and Enterprise sector are male and Enterprise sector are male

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Considerable diversity Considerable diversity across Europeacross Europe

in research intensity, scientific in research intensity, scientific infrastructure, tertiary education infrastructure, tertiary education intensity, history of women’s intensity, history of women’s engagement in Higher Education and engagement in Higher Education and scientific professions, gender scientific professions, gender equality agendas, work-life balance equality agendas, work-life balance provisions... provisions...

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Common factorsCommon factors

a lack of gender balance in decision a lack of gender balance in decision making about science policy and making about science policy and among those who determine what among those who determine what constitutes “good science”.constitutes “good science”.

Teresa Rees: National Policies on Women and Teresa Rees: National Policies on Women and Science in Europe 2002Science in Europe 2002

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Traditional frame to approach Traditional frame to approach inequalities in science and inequalities in science and

academiaacademia

women are the problemwomen are the problem that needs that needs to be fixed orto be fixed or

women have problemswomen have problems in research in research careers careers

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Focus on scientific organisationsFocus on scientific organisations

Change in conceptualising the Change in conceptualising the debate on women in science in the debate on women in science in the 1990s:1990s:

Focus on academic and scientific Focus on academic and scientific organisationsorganisations: how they treat and : how they treat and approach women and men & approach women and men & produce, reproduce (or deconstruct!) produce, reproduce (or deconstruct!) gendered hierarchies and culturesgendered hierarchies and cultures

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Only women have gender?Only women have gender? Men in science and academia also Men in science and academia also

problematized problematized

Academic masculinitiesAcademic masculinities

Men and academic networkingMen and academic networking

Homosociability Homosociability

Master – apprentice relationshipsMaster – apprentice relationships

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Points of policy intervention Points of policy intervention (Harding & McGregor 1995)(Harding & McGregor 1995)

Assessment of

environment

Separation

Pay

Training and

Develop-ment

Re-entry

Promotion

Retention

Recruit-ment

GENDER EQUITY FRAME-WORK

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Measures promoting gender Measures promoting gender equality in science in Europe equality in science in Europe

Equal treatment legislationEqual treatment legislation Commitment to gender mainstreamingCommitment to gender mainstreaming National committee on W & ScienceNational committee on W & Science W & S unit in Research MinistryW & S unit in Research Ministry Sex-aggregated statisticsSex-aggregated statistics Development of GE indicatorsDevelopment of GE indicators Gender balance targets in public committeesGender balance targets in public committees Gender balance targets in university com.Gender balance targets in university com. Gender equality plans in universities and res.inst.Gender equality plans in universities and res.inst. Gender studies and research in universitiesGender studies and research in universities Programmes on W & S, spec. funding availableProgrammes on W & S, spec. funding available Nationwide centres on Women and ScienceNationwide centres on Women and Science

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Main challenges in EuropeMain challenges in Europe European Commission: Women in Science – Excellence and European Commission: Women in Science – Excellence and

Innovation – Gender Equality in Science 2005Innovation – Gender Equality in Science 2005

Empowering women in decision-making Empowering women in decision-making positions in research and technologypositions in research and technology

Reconciliation of researchers´ professional Reconciliation of researchers´ professional and private life and private life

Gender and definition of scientific Gender and definition of scientific excellenceexcellence

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Strengthening of gender researchStrengthening of gender research

Increasing the participation of Increasing the participation of women in science, technology and women in science, technology and innovation innovation

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Future European prioritiesFuture European prioritiesEuropean Commission: Women in Science – Excellence and Innovation – European Commission: Women in Science – Excellence and Innovation –

Gender Equality in Science 2005Gender Equality in Science 2005

Improving scientific excellence by Improving scientific excellence by promoting gender awareness and promoting gender awareness and fairnessfairness

Boosting the numbers of women in Boosting the numbers of women in leading positionsleading positions

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Strengthening gender research and Strengthening gender research and gender dimension in researchgender dimension in research

Enhancing the role of women in Enhancing the role of women in engineering and innovationsengineering and innovations

Research careers allowing for a Research careers allowing for a reconciliation of professional and reconciliation of professional and private lifeprivate life

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Gender monitoring in the member Gender monitoring in the member statesstates

More efficient gender monitoring of More efficient gender monitoring of the EU Research Framework the EU Research Framework ProgrammesProgrammes

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US NAS Report (2006) US NAS Report (2006)

Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic the Potential of Women in Academic Science and EngineeringScience and Engineering

by the National Academy of Sciences, National by the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine of the National AcademiesMedicine of the National Academies

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Key findingsKey findings

Women have ability and drive to Women have ability and drive to succeed in science and engineeringsucceed in science and engineering

Women who are interested in science Women who are interested in science and engineering careers are lost at and engineering careers are lost at every educational transitionevery educational transition

Problem not simply the pipelineProblem not simply the pipeline

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… … NAS (2006)NAS (2006)

Women are very likely to face Women are very likely to face discriminationdiscrimination in every field of in every field of science and engineeringscience and engineering

Most people, men and women, hold Most people, men and women, hold implicit implicit gender biasesgender biases

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… … NAS (2006)NAS (2006)

Evaluation criteriaEvaluation criteria contain arbitrary contain arbitrary and subjective components which and subjective components which disadvantage womendisadvantage women

Organisational structures and rulesOrganisational structures and rules in in academia contribute significantly to academia contribute significantly to the under-use of women in academic the under-use of women in academic science and engineeringscience and engineering

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Women in scientific careers:Women in scientific careers:state of the art todaystate of the art today

Relative advances but continuing Relative advances but continuing contradictionscontradictions

Can Europe afford the waste of Can Europe afford the waste of talents?talents?

Critical gender lense on research Critical gender lense on research environments and conditionsenvironments and conditions

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Equality equals qualityEquality equals quality

Thorough institutional transformation Thorough institutional transformation towards greater gender awareness towards greater gender awareness and fairness in all scientific and fairness in all scientific organisations is absolutely necessary organisations is absolutely necessary to keep the best talents in research to keep the best talents in research and to reach excellence and to reach excellence