Chris Gordon reflects on women in science

Earlier this week I chatted with Kate White, an internationally recognised researcher on gender in higher education, about women working in the area of science.

Specifically, we talked about why so many women choose to leave the field of science and why is it important that they stay. White’s research explores new models intended to enable younger women (and men) to have successful science careers that balance with other priorities in life. Her research supports Annabel Crabb’s theory in The Wife Drought: if we want more women in work, then we must give men more flexible work practices.

The conversation, of course, was based on gender politics and we established the importance of stories as a tool for keeping Australian women in science. We must share the stories of women in the science field – their work and home practices – to use as inspiration for our young scientists. This is a way of demonstrating that a career is possible in the highly competitive field of research grants and international knowledge.

But we must also not use sexuality to categorise work either. Work achieved should only concentrate fully on findings. In her novel, The Signature of all Things, Elizabeth Gilbert features the first female botanist. She only ever had her work published using her initials so that the reader did not know her sex and this is important. Discovery is not dependent on sex.

White’s book Keeping Women in Science is important, provoking reflection on how we want our future to be. White has made a critical contribution to this debate.


Chris Gordon

Cover image for Keeping Women in Science

Keeping Women in Science

Kate White

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