Careers In Science, Gender Inequalities: Lab Mom and Lab Boss

**Disclaimer: any comments I make about the University that I work at are general and not directed at any one person or Lab. :o)

A group from the highly acclaimed scientific journal Nature have published a study revealing the inequalities that still exist between the genders in science. They surveyed males and females from 16 countries in regards to their career satisfaction, and monetary compensation.

Actual paper: http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/2010/100624/full/nj7301-1104a.html

CBC article: http://www.cbc.ca/cp/science/TL974.html

I really thought that we didn't have to deal with this much anymore...but alas, here we are.

They only surveyed those in post-doctoral positions or beyond, but I can elaborate a little on some of the things that are proposed as 'keeping down' the female gender in earlier years. I must admit that I was quite naive going into this article. Usually after reading something like this I think that the researchers are being near sighted and violently accusatory towards our male counterparts. So, naturally, I was expecting the worst. However, after reading the 'Opinions' section in regards to this study, my opinion quickly changed (see what i did there? with the opinion...clever eh? haha).

Opinions piece: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v465/n7301/full/4651006a.html

In the very first section by Kathleen Christensen I was made VERY aware of the subtle sexism that exists in our workplaces. She starts out very typical: women being passed over for promotions, women being ill-equipped for negotiation etc. But there are many more subtle things that tend to keep women from obtaining high status positions, and as I found out, they start when you are just a wee little undergrad.

The thing that striked me as having the biggest effect on women in graduate research, or even undergraduate, positions was the term 'office wife'. Christensen uses this term to describe a situation where administrative duties in a lab fall on female shoulders, she also lists planning social events. Seems harmless enough....right?

I have to admit I have heard the term 'lab mom' used many, many times (too many, in fact). Even in reference to myself. I had never (really) thought of this as being a bad thing until I read this article. Christensen explains that although these 'micro-inequities' don't seem harmful on the surface they can be highly toxic to a woman's career in science. Overloading a female student with duties outside of their actual job, 'can impair job performance, damage self esteem and prompt literal or figurative withdrawl from the workplace'. And when we do turn these small slights and subconscious sexism into an issue or stop participating in lab/department social activities we are instantly labelled a Bitch. A word that we will never rise above for the time we spend in that position.

Personally, I also feel like the predominantly (older) male faculties can be incredibly intimidating to women. Male students tend to have better relationships with their professors and supervisors. In my experience it is simply that they have more in common with them than with their female students. They may also be frightened that female students will take their 'friendship' as sexual advances. But these relationships will clearly have an impact in how male students will act towards faculty in general and how male faculty members will respond to their actions.

Where do we go from here? It's clear that there is an issue. No sense yammering on about it if there aren't solutions being brought to the table. I propose that my fellow women in science take the bull by the horns and refuse to be the Lab Mom that takes care of everything but their own project. Lets share the party planning and 'lab-keeping' duties.

Of course we won't change anything overnight, but if every woman in science refuses to settle for anything buy equality and excellence, we can, at the very least, change things for the women following behind us.