For some women the challenges are greater than others.
At the Naturejobs Career Expo in London this September, a panel of four academics got together to discuss their wildly different careers. Jim Usherwood from the Royal Veterinary College only spends his time doing research. Anita Hall from Imperial College London only does teaching. Lorraine Kerr and Louise Horsfall from the University of Edinburgh split their time (with different percentages) between research, teaching, business and management.
In this short Q&A film three of the panellists give their opinions (based on their experiences) about the challenges they’ve faced as women in academia.
Anita Hall from Imperial College London touches on some of the stereotypical things, including self-confidence.
Louise Horsfall says “I feel that it’s been an advantage” to being a women in science. But as a junior lecturer this might change.
Lorraine Kerr, with her experience of working across the academia/industry background. hasn’t had any challenges, she’s pleased to report!
Other Q&A videos from the Naturejobs Career Expo, London 2014
How important is having a mentor in your academic career?
Have you faced any challenges as a woman in academia? Or do you know anyone who has? Please share your thoughts with us using the comments section below.
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The biggest challenge that I faced beeing a women is to restart in science again after stop two times, first stop my Master and second my Doctorate, to take care about my young child (one year and half old) that had cancer.
Why me to stop? Because I was the one that receive less money and also had no fix position ( I was in that time a Doctorate student) plus the fact that I was breastfeeding him.
Start again in science still a challenge. After all this I got depression and when I decide to start again my CV was not strong enough and I had no place to explain the reason that cause that.
Now, almost ten years after his death I’m trying hard to improve my skills and knowledge.
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Several times I have felt the lobbying by men against women researchers, especially strong-willed ones. To keep sexism out of interctions and not resort to personal favors are important traits required in a well functioning lab, since only then chauvinistic men learn to respect women for their research!
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Being a woman is a definitely a chalenge when it comes to academia or science.
Personally, I’ve been facing this so called “chalenges” from the very begining.
At present, I have to say that being a mother, and a “single-mom” truly showed me how uneven/sexist science can be!!