Would Title IX help women in science?

Abstract

As a young woman in science, I was particularly disturbed by Jeffrey Mervis's article “Can equality in sports be repeated in the lab?” (News Focus, 11 Oct., p. 356). The discussion concerns a proposal that universities should be forced to employ more women on their science faculty or else face a federal budget cut. The purpose of such a measure would be to increase female representation in science, as Title IX has done for female participation in sports. A fundamental difference between sports and science is presumably overlooked in this comparison. Unlike in athletics, smart, educated women can compete equally with their male counterparts. No amount of federal regulation will make the average sportswomen perform at the level of her male counterpart, but it can and does increase female participation and enjoyment in sports. Science, on the other hand, requires a high intellect, interest, opportunity, and a solid education. Lack of the latter two have restrained females of past generations, but the gender gap in education and opportunity is closing. Affirmative action may serve to broaden the pool of female scientists, but it will also weaken it—lower requirements naturally mean lower quality. As a result, the old preconception of male intellectual superiority will be reinforced, the status of women in science be reduced, and we will be back to the system that we are apparently fighting. I speak for many satisfied and successful (and therefore quieter) female scientists when I say, “Don't marginalize us!” # {#article-title-2} Jeffrey Mervis's “can equality in sports be repeated in the lab?” (News Focus, 11 Oct., p. [356][1]) highlights the inequitable situation of women in the natural sciences. However, unlike in sports, women in science do not need separate teams to be established to enable them to succeed. They will achieve parity once they are provided with a “level playing field” upon which they can compete directly with men. My observation is that the scientific contributions of female scientists tend to be undervalued and their opinions discounted by men. This unconscious bias among many male scientists allows the men to believe that there is no discrimination against women and that they are merely acting to “maintain academic standards.” The bar is set higher for women scientists, and it continues to be raised throughout their careers. Independent objective assessment of the achievements of men and women scientists and their contributions within their institutions could help to alleviate this bias. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.298.5592.356