Gender Equity in Physics

Zuska dissects an editorial in Nature Physics (access for subscribers only) about a recent American Physical Society gender-equity workshop attended by many physics-department chairs, directors of national laboratories, and leaders from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Education.

She chastises the editorial’s authors for using the occasion to champion the ridiculous idea that “men will ALWAYS have an advantage over women who have children, and that absolutely nothing can or should be done about the competitive nature of science which is in part responsible for this advantage.”

The editorial’s authors conveniently say that children are at fault, Zuska writes:

Everything can be blamed on the kids! “The single biggest issue to face, of course, is that of children.” Not professors who sexually harass students and colleagues. Not hostile environments in the workplace and classroom. Not the attitudes of male physicists to women who have children. But children. Women having children in a context-free environment, somehow, it’s really no one’s fault, it just so happens that it becomes a problem for them to continue in their careers. Maybe if we gave them more time to apply for young investigator awards? Yes, that’s it! … Lest you worry that any of the actions or policy changes recommended at the conference will actually change things, the Nature Physics editorial reminds us “the playing field will never be level on this score.” So there. Women, in pain will you bring forth children.

Be sure to read the interesting comments that follow her post, too.