Editorial
When ACT WISENET accepted the invitation to compile this edition of the WISNET
Journal, I'm not sure we realised just how much outstanding scientific
research is being done by women in the ACT. Constraints of time and other
commitments prevent us from providing a more comprehensive overview - but I
hope our selections make for enjoyable and inspiring reading.
What is clearly reflected in these pages is the wide spectrum of scientific
endeavour that is being undertaken by women in science. The have variously
demonstrated courage to overcome adversity, innovation in pursuing their
passions, quiet insistence on facts and figures for career guidance and very
clearly, the love of science and its importance to our everyday lives.
However statistics show that real inequity still exists and Sara Ryan's
assessment of women employees in the CSIRO makes compelling reading. I would
also like to recommend the feature article Women in the life sciences in the
second edition of EMBO's new journal EMBO Reports (Volume 2, Issue 8 August
2001) - a synopsis is presented in this Journal. The article seeks to explain
why there is such a slow rise of women in higher positions in Scientific
Institutions in Europe. I meet the Editor of EMBO Reports, Frank Gannon, at
the recent Frank Fenner Conference held at the Academy of Science here in
Canberra, and he said he would be very interested in hearing how their
analysis compares to the Australian experience. Perhaps we could integrate
this into our next WAIS Conference 2002 and prepare a comparison. We may
discover that it is time to review our own workplace practices precisely
because some women are succeeding - why not more? I often wonder whether we
concentrate on the wrong problems too often. Is it only sexual harassment or
sexuality in the workplace that causes such real problems? Do we have such a
low profile despite high public rating because we don't have the tradition of
being involved in broader sections of society in the higher echelons? Why do
so many women lack confidence in applying for positions or becoming involved
at higher levels? In particular, is the problem one of low earnings sapping
confidence? After participating in Science meets Parliament Day and the SET
Summit, I cannot understand why our earnings as scientific researchers - male
or female - are so low compared with our professional counterparts. On the one
hand we are being confronted with a veritable free-for-all in terms of
expectations and demands because of our outstanding capability and
qualifications. Yet we are paid on significantly lower scales than people with
far less.
In keeping with recent calls from WISENET about re-appraising who we are and
what WISENET now stands for, this is also an opportune time for us to reassess
our value to the Australian economy as well as our position in Australian
society. I hope it is that we stand and be counted for the significant and
impressive contributions that we make.
Anna Robinson.