Category Archives: Equality

All Male Invited Speakers? It’s Complicated!

Some time ago I wrote about the complexities that may underlie all male short-lists for high-powered jobs. The scientific world is also full of justified angst about the disproportionate number of men who appear on conference platforms, particularly as invited … Continue reading

Posted in Equality, Women in Science | Tagged , , , , | 98 Comments

Gender Issues in European Academic Science

This week has seen me travelling to Vienna and Bratislava for a meeting of the European Research Council’s Scientific Council. Travelling between the two cities along the Danube by fast boat provided a rare treat of a little relaxation fitted … Continue reading

Posted in Equality, Women in Science | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Will This Look Good on my CV?

This is a question I was asked recently in the context of outreach work (I answered yes), but it applies across the board. For those climbing the academic ladder specifically, it perhaps amounts to ‘does anything other than research count?’ … Continue reading

Posted in Equality | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Saying What You Mean to Say

Some years ago I came across a psychology paper which suggested that letters of reference are subtly (or even not-so-subtly) gendered. I had never thought about it before, but it made me think much harder about the adjectives and roles … Continue reading

Posted in Equality, Science Culture | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Let’s Get Stereotypes out of Science Education

Women are from Venus, like making cupcakes, like bright colours – particularly pink – and need to be told at frequent intervals that ‘math is meant to be hard’. That seems to be the verdict you could cull from many … Continue reading

Posted in Education, Equality, Uncategorized, Women in Science | Tagged , , | 21 Comments