If we can get a man on the moon, surely we can get a woman there

They were the ill-advised remarks that cost a man his career, but inadvertently sparked a broader discussion about the role of women in science.

The numbers confirm that, both in Australia and overseas, women remain under-represented in science. (Pic: iStock)

When Nobel Prize winner and acclaimed British scientist Sir Tim Hunt told guests at a conference in June that women working in the field “cry” when they are criticised and “fall in love” with their male peers, the backlash was brutal. But it also shone a light on some of the more archaic prejudices women occasionally still encounter.

“I guess the good thing to come out of those completely ridiculous comments was that it made us talk about women and the work they’re doing in science and technology roles,” CSIRO research dietitian Dr Jane Bowen tells Sunday Style.

“And it wasn’t just the women standing up and sharing their stories, it was male scientists, too, who wanted to point out how wrong Tim Hunt’s perceptions were. The men I work were just as outraged as I was.”
And yet the numbers confirm that, both in Australia and overseas, women remain under-represented in the industry.

“It’s a big question, a systemic question,” replies Oona Nielssen, general manager of communication at the CSIRO, when asked why this is. “It goes from role modelling, school subject choices, right through to how careers are managed in research organisations.”
Inspiring more women to consider a career in science and technology is a key aim behind the CSIROseven, a new campaign that focuses on the potential of seven individuals to redefine the sector for a new generation.
“Although education plays a key role, I also think the way media portrays and celebrates smart women has a big influence on how the next generation of scientists visualise their careers and the type of workplace they want to be a part of,” says Bowen.

“We need to wrap our arms around our great women scientists, laud them and make heroes of them,” agrees Nielssen. “Believe it or not science and research requires lateral thinking, creativity and an enormous amount of team work as well as persistence and deep focus. We won’t progress to where we need to if we just rely on one segment of our workforce. We need women, young people, and people from all cultures to apply their minds, experience and passions to science and research.”
Source : dailytelegraph

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