She is in science to stay!

Abstract

In response to PB Perssons' editorial1 on gender issues in science and the effect choices people make have on their lives. The parallel you draw between truck drivers, prisoners, the homeless and female scientists is rather unusual and suggests that you do not consider unfair treatment of women pursuing science a real possibility. In 1921, women were able to vote in Sweden; in 1889, Sweden's first female professor was appointed, Sonya Kovalevsky, in mathematics, at Stockholm University but it was not until 1937 that the 2nd female professor was appointed when Nanna Svartz became professor in medicine at Karolinska Institutet. In 2015, women were only about 20% of full-time professors within EU.2 Women have done science since antiquity.3, 4 The barriers that have faced women have varied, and some are still in place but gender equality policies aim to dismantle these blockades.2, 5-8 In your arguments for different choices in life by men and women, you refer to the study by Lubinski et al9 This study is interesting in many ways, not the least in the limitations it so explicitly exposes. The outcome of the study does not necessarily mean that the results are based on personal preference or that societies should not aim for gender equality as pointed out by Diep in Scientific American10 where she discusses the article. In fact, the many reports within the #MeToo movement highlight the gender imparity that clearly exists today. Just within Sweden have 63000 women signed #Metoo and this includes #Metooakademia. One has to raise the question why studies like the one of Lubinski et al9 have not managed to expose the reality many females face. In this respect, it is highly illuminating to read Women Becoming Mathematicians by M.A.M Murray3 where she examines the social and cultural backgrounds, lives and carriers of women who earned their PhDs in mathematics. How did these women reconcile their mathematical ambitions with the cultural expectations at the time? There is a multitude of studies that do expose the difficulties female academics experience in their professional lives today.5, 7, 11 Women are paid less than their male peers12 and promoted less13; at scientific meetings, fewer invited speakers are females14; and women are awarded fewer grants.15 Women face difficulties at many stages of their carrier,16 and as #MeToo exposes, many women face sexual harassments.7 Today gender equality is an essential part of European research and innovation policy. Since 2003, the EU publishes She Figures and reports on new developments relating to careers, decision-making and gender dimensions in research and development. If one examines, for example the report 20152 on academic careers, they show very clearly that from time of graduation, women are disappearing from academia and for the level of professors, only about one-fifth are women. The Council of the European Union has invited member states to set targets for gender balance among full professors and in research decision.2 In addition, importantly, female scientist has identified strategies aimed at addressing and overcoming the problem that women face in science today.11 It clearly is an enormous advantage for science and our society as whole, if not half but the full brain capacity of our society is used and for that, we need gender equality. The authors declare no conflict of interest.