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Women Now 17% of Academic Faculty
Every year, Chemical and Engineering News tallies the numbers of female faculty in chemistry at the top 50 universities in the US. This year, that tally shows that women now make up 17% of the faculty, which is up one percent from last year. For comparison’s sake, women make up about 35% of PhD chemists and therefore are grossly underrepresented in the hallowed halls of academe.
A lot of pomp and circumstance has been made in an apparent effort to increase the number of women faculty, but the increase in numbers is still occurring at a glacial pace. Some have criticized these efforts as being simply superficial and therefore not resulting in the dramatic impact they claim to support.
A lot of people still ask the ridiculous question of why we should even care about how many women make up the faculty in academe. For those people, here are the top five reasons:
1. Professors in the top 50 universities garner the majority of the government resources allocated to performing scientific research. It is in our national interest that these resources be allocated to the best and brightest researchers in the country. Because it has been shown time and time again that men and women have equal intellectual potential, then any selected group of the top talent should not be over-represented by one gender. Statistically, if men are over-represented then we have passed over a brilliant woman in favor of hiring a mediocre man. So, monitoring gender equity is an important way to ensure we are getting the best of the best.
2. Numerous studies have shown that systemic gender bias exists in chemistry hiring and promotion processes. Hiring more women and promoting them to positions of power helps to stop gender bias.
3. Research funding is paid for by taxpayers. Taxpayers should not fund a system in which systemic gender bias exists.
4. Numerous studies have shown that students need mentors that look like them in order to feel that they will be successful in a given field. So, in order for a young, black man to think about a career in chemistry, it is important that all of his teachers not be white men. Likewise, in order for a young woman to think about a career in chemistry, it is important that all of her teachers not be men. The first priority of an institution of higher learning is to develop the leaders and thinkers of tomorrow. This requires that an institution provide mentors to its students. Most chemistry departments fail miserably with this, and thus the perpetuation of a white male dominated field continues. It is not because white men just happen to be better than everyone else, it is because the system is inherently exclusive.
5. Women want to be research chemistry professors at the top 50 universities and it is unethical to prevent them that chance due to gender bias. Women want to gain access to power and command resources. The myth that most women don’t want to be professors is just that, a myth.
Photo source: travelpod.com
May 16th, 2010 at 1:08 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Joanne Manaster and Feminist Chemist, Anne T. Griffin. Anne T. Griffin said: RT @feministchemist: Women now make up 17% of academic science faculty, see: http://tinyurl.com/25xjva5 [...]
May 17th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
[...] while you are at this read Feminist Chemist’s take on why this is all even worth bothering with in the first [...]