When you picture a scientist, who do you see?
Is it The Doctor from Dr Who? Indiana Jones? Maybe it’s The Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Cooper?
When looking back on the most famous depictions of scientists in pop culture over the years, there’s one thing that’s usually missing; women (unless they’re the attractive sidekick or the desirable love interest, of course).
While this stereotype paints an inaccurate (and problematic) depiction of the role that women play in science, it’s hard to ignore the real-life diversity problem that the STEM sector continues to grapple with. To open up the conversation, the School of ERS Gender, Diversity, Social Inclusion and Equity Committee (known as the ERS Equity Committee) recently brought members of the Faculty together to watch the 2020 documentary, Picture a Scientist, and discuss some of the issues raised around diversity, equality, and sexism in the sciences.
Image: A number of people from the SABL Faculty attended the screening of the film, 'Picture a Scientist', organised by the ERS Equity Committee.
"While it wasn’t an easy watch, the film brings to life many of the issues that have, and will be, experienced by our own peers and colleagues," said Chair of the ERS Equity Committee, Associate Professor Susan Wilson.
Retain, attract, progress: how do we do this?
It was evident the issues raised resonated with many in the audience; in a panel discussion led by Associate Professor Melissa Parsons with panellists Dr Marissa Betts, Dr Christina Kenny, Dr Terence Sibanda and Associate Professor Paul Kristiansen, the conversation had no shortage of voices – especially when the topic arose about how to retain, attract, and progress women in STEM.
Girls love science and they want to keep doing it, but it’s also clear that they drop off pretty rapidly, especially after PhD and beyond.
“In the film, they talk about attracting girls to science and how it’s a fifty-fifty split in the beginning, but then it drops off as they reach the higher levels,” said Dr Betts.
“After working as a STEM coach in the Curious Minds program for the past six years, that observation is totally true.
"Girls love science and they want to keep doing it, but it’s also clear that they drop off pretty rapidly, especially after PhD and beyond.”
So, why does this so called ‘leaky pipeline’ happen?
Reflecting on her own experience, Dr Betts said a lack of female mentorship could be one of a plethora of reasons.
“I never really had female mentors in geoscience during and after studying that I could emulate. I’m also the only woman in geoscience employed here at UNE. It’s something that we’re trying really hard to tackle and change, but we’re discovering that it’s extraordinarily difficult.”
While Marissa has certainly become a beacon of inspiration for many young girls and early career researchers, it’s been difficult for others to reach this point due to the pressures of family and personal commitments.
“Juggling many short-term contracts, having children, supporting family and building an academic track record is tough” said Dr Wilson. “I love science and the work that I do, but it’s taken me many years to gain the job security and time to be a mentor and an advocate.”
Sharing the responsibility
Dr Kenny raised the point that even without the time pressures of family and personal life, simply being a female in academia is a tough enough slog.
“Teaching and research take up a lot of time; especially as a woman. The expectations on women teachers to be pedagogues and pastoral carers is a burden that many men aren’t ever asked to carry.
“It’s great that many women are advocates, but it’s not our responsibility, alone. It’s hard enough to get into academia as it is, so I think it’s important that we don’t put pressure on women to be doing even more.”
There’s a lot of attention on getting women together and empowering them to fight the fight, but we also need to change men’s behaviour when it comes to advocating for diversity, respect and equality.
As Dr Kristiansen and Dr Sibanda said, sometimes that load should be carried by the men in the room.
“There’s a lot of attention on getting women together and empowering them to fight the fight, but we also need to change men’s behaviour when it comes to advocating for diversity, respect and equality,” said Dr Kristiansen. “We need to speak up when we hear something in the tea room, and we need to encourage men to have the confidence to speak out and resist sexism when they hear it.
“Of course, we need to have strong policies in place that are implemented and followed up on, but we should start with those around us to build support from the bottom up.”
Image: A/Prof Melissa Parsons, Dr Marissa Betts, Dr Christina Kenny, Dr Terence Sibandi and A/Prof Paul Kristiansen at the recent 'Picture a Scientist' event.
Solving the problem at UNE
It’s groups like the ERS Equity Committee that are beginning to do this within the Faculty of Science, Agriculture, Business and Law. Having initiated vital facilities, such as the new parent rooms that can be used by parents with young children and new babies, and by organising future events in the same vein as the Picture a Scientist screening, Dr Wilson hopes they can help to make the Faculty a more inclusive space for everyone.
There are too many urgent issues around the UNE campuses that we need to tackle and I think the only way to do that is to build a collective movement around what needs to happen.
“Please join in the conversation with us. We’ve done some really amazing things since we started in 2020. We have been knocking on doors, and we will continue to keep knocking to make positive changes in our workplace on matters that are important to us”
The ERS Equity Committee works with the university-wide Diversity Advisory Committee that is trying to tackle the problem across UNE. Dr Kenny is encouraging people from every faculty to get involved.
“There are too many urgent issues around the UNE campuses that we need to tackle and I think the only way to do that is to build a collective movement around what needs to happen. Please send me an email if you have any ideas or want to have a chat.”
You can get in touch with the ERS Standing Committee on Equity, Inclusion and Diversity by emailing A/Prof Wilson, or, you can contact the UNE Diversity Advisory Committee by emailing Dr Kenny.
