CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN SCIENTISTS AND VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE SEXISM IN SLOVENE SOCIETY

Abstract

The author gives a descriptive and statistical analysis of the fate of women who wish to undertake academic careers in Slovenia, particularly in the two universities of this republic. Difficulties are perceived to stem from the patriarchal Roman Catholic heritage of Slovenia and all that it implies with regard to the “proper” role of women. Although women have made progress since the Second World War with regard to the numbers of them who have earned higher education credentials and have been able to undertake academic careers, even women who are very successful in their careers may be burdened by popular perceptions that they must still accept the added and time consuming responsibilities of caring for their families and of undertaking other chores which arc perceived as being the particular responsibility of women. Also, a study of the breakdown of the role of women in Slovenian higher education by department, disciplinary field, and faculty rank indicates a greater concentration of women in some fields than in others, the latter being perceived as the more prestigious fields, and at lower rather than at higher faculty ranks. Slovenia needs affirmative action programmes both to change popular perceptions of the proper role of women and to see to it that the numbers of women and men in given types of academic positions reach parity.