Heather Rossiter interviews Acram Taji
The University of New England has appointed a Vice- Chancellor's Women's Advisory Committee (VCWAC). Its first meeting was held in September 1995 . Its brief includes advising on avenues for improving career opportunities and facilitating career mobility of women staff, reviewing and developing policies to establish a more equitable work place at UNE and communicating with other university committees regarding issues affecting women on campus.
There are six ex officio members and nine elected with a provision for co-opting three others if minority or disadvantaged groups are deemed not adequately represented.
The Chair of the Vice-Chancellor's Women's Advisory Committee, Dr Acram Taji, was born in Iran and completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Tehran. A postgraduate scholarship in Plant Physiology and Horticultural Science took her to the University of Sydney and Flinders University where her PhD thesis was written on translocation of carbohydrates through phloem tissue. During the final part of her work for her PhD Iran underwent an Islamic revolution and although both she and her husband Richard Williams had secured appointments in Tehran they decided that because of the vulnerability and volatility of Iran at that time they would remain in Australia.
Acram's research in the past 15 years has been in plant tissue culture, using in vitro technology to understand plant structure and function. She uses in vitro techniques in shortening the breeding cycle through use of another culture or unfertilised egg cell culture in breeding programs on a wide range of plants. In the past 15 years she has developed propagation protocols for over thirty species of Australian native plant species including some with floricultural potential and rare and endangered species.
Now Lecturer in Horticultural Science at UNE, Dr Taji will be representing all women at UNE, both General and Academic staff, on the VCWAC. She had this to say about the position of women in science and academe:
'Since my arrival in Australia a quarter century ago some major changes have occurred in relation to the position of women in the workplace (but) progress has been slow in academe and more specifically in science.
'Family demands affect our progress. In the majority of cases it is women who take the role of carer and supporter. Instead of society rewarding women for these important roles we often find ourselves penalised for them on our return to paid work. The reality of life for women who have opted for the caring role is that they find re-entering the workforce in science and academe after a break to be extremely difficult. If they have chosen part-time work during the care-giving period the situation is marginally, but not significantly, better.
'To succeed in a career in science we are advised to maintain a high level of self-esteem, train overseas, work hard and without interruptions and ensure the support of family and partners. With the multiple restraints imposed on women by complex personal circumstances this is not a prescription all can follow.
'Until a more humane system is put in place, science and academe will only continue to provide short-term jobs for women, with no security and with little room for professional growth. The present system has been called by Professor Fay Gale (HES 14.2.96) "..affirmative action for men- for English-speaking white males-because we appoint them on youth, publications, overseas travel and continuity, all of which go against women."
'In Australia women contribute only 11.6% of academics above senior lecturer and only 39% of all academic positions. What makes these figures so disturbing is that 53% of all our students in Australian universities are female (1995).
'Why does such a huge gulf exist between the number of female students and the number of female academics? Many women drop out because of loss of confidence. As they find their way through the obstacle course of exams, graduation and career path, they receive little in the way of encouragement or guidance. The problem is compounded by lack of female role models and lack of networking along the way. Another factor keeping women out of senior positions is their strong commitment to teaching duties. Women place this higher than publication of scientific papers and other factors affecting promotion. Universities depend on that kind of dedication so we must recognise it and promote it.
'At UNE in the Faculty of Sciences only 18% of the academic and research staff are women, many of them in contract positions at the lower end of the scale. In contrast 40% of undergraduate science students and 45% of our post-graduates are female.
'How can we address this imbalance? By adopting new strategies such as:
'We need changes that can increase the number of women on decision-making committees, help women to improve their research performance and improve employment opportunities for women with interrupted career paths. These changes can be achieved through committees such as the Vice-Chancellor's Women's Advisory Committee which will monitor and ensure that promises in relation to improving the profile of women are being fulfilled.
'I expect the future to be brighter for my daughter's generation. We have come to recognise the limitations of our system and we are now trying to set procedures in place to encourage women at all levels to achieve their potential. We must stand for what we believe in. We cannot stand still and let the world go by. We have to be active participants in it and take charge of our own destiny.'