Diane Temple Memorial Lecture 2009
given by Professor Mary o'Kane, NSW Chief Scientist and Scientific Engineer
"The advancement of the role of women in science"
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This
3rd annual lecture in memory of Professor Diana Temple, founding member of
WISENet, was held in the Jubilee room of the NSW Parliament. It was a great
honour to hear the address by the NSW Chief Scientist and Scientific Engineer,
Professor Mary O’Kane. Dr Jennifer Byrne, representing WISENet, introduced
Professor O’Kane and members of Diana Temple’s family as well as long-time
supporters of WISENet and colleagues of Professor Temple.
Professor O’Kane’s lecture was divided into four main sections; things to celebrate, things to worry about, things that worked and things to tackle. She started on an upbeat note with things to celebrate, pointing to the recent Nobel Prize awards to Elizabeth Blackburn and Carol Greider in Physiology or Medicine, Ada Yonath in Chemistry and Elinor Ostrom in Economics. Nobel and other awards to women are increasing, albeit slowly, but should continue to increase since women have comprised more than 50% of graduates in medicine and science for some years. While women are as inherently able in science as men, the OECD PISA 2006 report (1) found that women were slightly better at identifying key scientific issues than men, although men were somewhat better at explaining them. Other positive indicators include the greater number of female Federation Fellows and Laureate Fellows in the latest round, and the significant number of prominent women science leaders, for example, the Chief Scientist, CEO of CSIRO, President and Executive Director of FASTS; and several Vice-Chancellors and Chancellors of universities.
However, there are still areas in which women are systemically under-represented. Although a high percentage of women enter higher education, fewer women than men enter science and technology programs, and women still make up less than 20% of engineering students. Despite this year’s awards, very few women win Nobel Prizes, especially in Physics and Chemistry (2). Women make up just 30% of parliamentarians, and they are often in minor positions or on the back bench. As noted in the news recently, there are very few women on boards or in higher management; 50% of companies have no women directors, and 45% have no women in their executive team. The FASTS report on Women in Science (3) showed that the proportion of women declines with increasing seniority of position in all science institutions, and in university faculties and departments. And the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering still comprise only 7% and 6% women, respectively.
Some
strategies to retain more women in science have been successful. These include
mentoring programmes, networking among women, providing examples of success,
career and other support, many sponsored by WISENet, which is still going after
25 years. A further change has been the recognition that early-career
researchers need additional support in grant applications, mainly by assessing
their track record vs. opportunity, separately from more established scientists.
This has increased their success rate, albeit against a generally low base.
There has also been a slow recognition, in appointment and promotion committees,
of the value of tertiary teaching as well as research, which helps women who
tend to predominate in lower-paid teaching positions. This was formalised in the
HECE award in 1998 (4), designed to reduce the insecure position of repeat
casual appointees hired to do the teaching for tenured staff. The Athena project
in Europe (5) has led to an improved research culture, with increased networking
and provision of childcare crucial to the retention of women. Universities have
also changed their strategies; for example, Monash University implemented a
university-wide mentoring scheme, paid parental leave, and grants to women
academics returning to work after a break, such that 92% of women now return to
full-time work after having children.
Despite this progress, significant challenges remain. The FASTS report (3) identified few women in political leadership, fragmented career paths, with barriers, few maps and limited flexibility in science careers, particularly in academia. Australia needs to identify and implement international best practice, as well as better, more comprehensive evidence pointing to specific areas requiring attention. Leaders need to be empowered to address women in science issues. New evidence has identified some differences in the way women approach maths and science (e.g. PISA 2006; 1), and the performance of both men and women could be increased, for example, by teaching discrete maths. Medical colleges need to change to more family friendly policies, especially changing the tradition of very long working hours, to improve the participation of women in specialist areas, e.g. as surgeons. We need to promote the idea of part-time research leadership. More imaginative family support is needed, for example, providing transport to and from school, on-site childcare, and using broadband video linking for meetings. And finally, we need to nominate women for the big prizes, for jobs, public lectures, significant committees and international leadership roles. There are plenty of outstanding candidates out there; they just need encouragement to come forward.
Professor O’Kane concluded that while progress has been made, and is a cause for optimism, much work still remains to be done and there is a role for WISENet and related organisations for some years to come.
Programme for International Student Assessment 2006 http://www.oecd.org/document/2/0,3343,en_32252351_32236191_39718850_1_1_1_1,00.html
2009 Nobels: Break or Breakthrough
for Women? 2009 female Nobel Laureates interviewed by Jeffrey Mervis and
Kate Travis. Science 30 October 2009: Vol. 326. no. 5953, pp. 656-658
www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/326/5953/656?eaf
Women in Science in Australia:
Maximising Productivity, Diversity and Innovation. Sharon Bell, 2009, FASTS
Report
www.fasts.org/images/news2009/fasts%20women%20in%20science%5B1%5D.pdf
Higher Education Contract of Employment Award, 1998 www.backingaustraliasfuture.gov.au/publications/meeting_the_challenges/5.htm
The Athena Project concluded in 2007: http://www.athenaforum.org.uk/