• Question: What are your veiws about women working in science and why aren't there more of them?

    Asked by nicolecullen96 to Antonia, Douglas, Hugh, Matt, Tom on 17 Jun 2010 in Categories: . This question was also asked by mollzz.
    • Photo: Antonia Hamilton

      Antonia Hamilton answered on 16 Jun 2010:

      there should be more of them. First, lots of studies have looked at gender differences in ability in maths / science and there isn’t any. women are just as capable as men and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. At the same time, lots of psychology studies have shown that women are judged more harshly and have a harder time being heard than men. These judgments are unconscious and come from women as well as men, so we can’t just blame men. Instead we need to change society.

    • Photo: Douglas Blane

      Douglas Blane answered on 16 Jun 2010:

      We need lots more women in science. I’ve been interviewing quite a few recently and trying to find out how we can get more.

      There’s an interesting lttle booklet on the subject, with a number of women scientists talking about their lives. You can find it in pdf form here http://tinyurl.com/2u8cevj

    • Photo: Hugh Roderick

      Hugh Roderick answered on 16 Jun 2010:

      I don’t have any strong views on women in science, other then there is no reason why they shouldn’t work in science. I work in a lab where women outnumber men and that is quite common in the biological sciences, I was the only man in the lab I did my PhD in. So I think there are lots of women in science, but the further up you get towards being a professor the fewer they get, which is a lot to do with historical attitudes and it taking time to overcome them then any current problem. The university I work at offers a lot of support for men and women who work there who want to have families.

    • Photo: Tom Hardy

      Tom Hardy answered on 16 Jun 2010:

      I’m not sure that there is a lack of women in science. At my work there are many more women than men. I don’t have a view because I don’t think women are any different to men.

    • Photo: Matthew Hurley

      Matthew Hurley answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      I can’t see the difference between men and women working in science. In my lab there are twice as many women than men!

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