Female students encounter roadblocks, SACPA told
More women are studying at university. And in Lethbridge, at least, they’re scoring higher grades than the men in their undergraduate classes.
But not enough women are pursuing careers in the sciences, a long-serving University of Lethbridge faculty member said Thursday. If they do, their careers advance more slowly — and they’re paid less than men.
And at universities, “It’s difficult to find women in leadership positions,” psychology professor Jennifer Mather told participants at the Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs.
The roadblocks, she said, include parents’ attitudes and stereotypes, as well as the influence of peers and news media. Even today, Mather said, young parents begin shaping their children’s future at birth.
A colleague, she said, told her “When my son was born, I bought a football.”
From their early years, Mather said, children see that boys are considered more capable than girls. And they hear stereotypical comments: “Girls can’t do math.”
In school, she said, boys often get more attention. Some career counsellors may still be urging girls to choose a more conventional vocation.
Hiring practices may also be part of the problem, Mather said, along with the possibility of a toxic work environment.
News media add to the situation, she pointed out. When telling the public about research projects, they often show gender bias.
While reports may include an interview with a young woman near the start of her research career, she said they more often focus on an older male researcher who’s seen to be in charge.
Balancing a career with raising a family remains another challenge, Mather said. But now, parental leave policies at the U of L and other universities are allowing both parents time to welcome the newcomer without sacrificing their careers.
But that depends on the availability of quality daycare, she added. Until now, Statistics Canada reported, fewer women scientists married and fewer still had children.
And those who wanted to become mothers often waited until they’d gained tenure — maybe in their upper 30s — only to face fertility problems.
Mather told a questioner some universities have used affirmative action initiatives to attract more women for scientific research and teaching. Few if any pay women equally — at U of L, she said, women faculty members receive about five per cent less than men doing the same work.
An effective mentoring system could make a difference, she said, if there were enough women scientists available to guide younger women as they start their studies. “We all have to work at it.”