OVERVIEW: Achieving equity between women and men in the geosciences

Abstract

Results from an extensive survey of men and women geoscience faculty members in the United States show that sex-based inequalities remain in the geosciences in three areas: (1) a higher proportion of women are in temporary, nontenure track positions, (2) women have different publishing strategies than men, and (3) women9s dual-career–couple status and their roles as mothers affect their career progress negatively. Generational differences within sexes (and similarities between men and women of the same rank or generation) are pronounced in terms of factors that influenced the respondents9 fields of study and those that cause frustrations with research. Although women geoscientists have not yet attained full equity in the workplace, gender similarities suggest that men and women can have the same appreciation and frustrations with the research process and academic setting. To address existing gender inequities in the geosciences (1) universities need to emphasize the hiring of women into faculty positions, (2) departments and senior faculty should provide strong and appropriate support to aid junior women as well as junior men faculty with the tenure process, and (3) university administrations should confront the situation of dual-career couples by developing policies to deal with these situations effectively.