Equity for Women in Science

Dismantling Systemic Barriers to Advancement

Harvard UP, 2023

15 min read

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This thorough study proves that women scientists receive less pay and less credit for their work than men.

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Professors Cassidy R. Sugimoto and Vincent Larivière present a data-packed study of the global gender divide in science, highlighting barriers hampering women. Based on quantitative analysis of millions of published articles across various disciplines, the authors reveal that women are consistently shortchanged on funding and crucial accolades, including awards, authorship credits and citations. Armed with empirical data, Sugimoto and Larivière suggest several solutions and urge male scientists, journal editors, grant funders and the scientific community to include women more systematically.

Summary

Gender parity in scientific research does not guarantee gender equity.

Women scientists have achieved or surpassed parity with male scientists in terms of papers they publish and other measures of output and impact. Yet a “parity paradox” persists in which women in science often receive lower pay and less recognition for their work than men receive for theirs.

Gender inequity in science has origins stretching back centuries. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, the work of pioneering women scientists such as paleontologist Mary Anning was overlooked and forgotten. By the late 19th century, exceptions had occurred – including physicist Hertha Ayrton, who earned awards and recognition, and who published in the leading journals of her era. Advances for women scientists came slowly. For example, the journal Nature did not change the slogan in its mission statement from “men of science” to “scientists” until the year 2000.

Women’s participation in science decreased in the 20th century when the sciences, formerly an amateur pursuit, became professionalized. That fueled the exclusion of...

About the Authors

Professor Cassidy R. Sugimoto teaches at Georgia Tech and serves as the Tom and Marie Patton Chair in the School of Public Policy. Vincent Larivière is a full professor of Information Science at the Université de Montréal and directs the Érudit journal platform.

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M. V. 12 months ago

Thanks to this summary I now know that this book is to be avoided. At no point is the fact that women in the US despite best efforts still only account for 25% of the physics degrees in Universities. What if women were just less interested in physics, just as men are less interested in psychology (BTW at about the same percentage)… what if it was mostly dictated by nature and not nurture? I am hoping the answer is in the book.

Cassidy R. Sugimoto and Vincent Larivière