Social Rights, Culture, Education and Cycles of Life

The study ‘Women and Science in Barcelona. A Qualitative Analysis of Factors Affecting the Paths of Women Researchers” offers a ten-point plan of initiatives to combat gender segregation in the sphere of research and the difficulties for women scientists to progress in their professional and academic careers.

The starting point for the analysis was a meeting with leading women scientists and researchers in the city, addressing the issues they face and how the approach to be adopted by the study. The work was also based on experiences from eight discussion groups with women of different ages, from different spheres of knowledge, working in different types of research centres and at different points in their careers. This was compared to input from two discussion groups made up of male researchers.

Notable conclusions highlight the factors that affect the paths of women researchers. These include maternity and the male bias in academic culture, with aggressive and competitive styles of leadership and communication, and gender stereotypes which often mean that time-consuming and repetitive tasks with no curricular merit end up in the hands of women researchers as they are regarded as having logistical and organisational skills.

Other aspects that stand out include the lack of lead figures and examples for young women researchers or the network of alliances and contacts outside work which perpetuate male-centric relational models.

Ten proposals to mitigate gender inequalities

Based on these conclusions, the report offers a set of ten recommendations for municipal policies on science to build in a gender perspective that helps reduce inequalities between men and women in the realm of research.

• Take measures to make the science network aware of everyday practices and stereotypes that perpetuate the inequalities suffered by women researchers.
• Provide tools to manage and regulate communication styles, with recommendations adapted to different research-specific contexts (seminars, congresses, meetings, etc.).
• Action to empower women and help reduce acquired insecurity, providing more confidence and assurance in their abilities.
• Promote equal participation in dissemination and the media, as well as in important science events.
• Boost the visibility of women scientists, building in reflection on communication models, leadership and research group management. It is also important to introduce women researchers at different points of their academic career to youngsters entering this field.
• Back visibility actions that provide recognition and prestige in fields of knowledge where there are more women.
• Put measures in place which facilitate work-family balance and reduce the divide in scientific production caused by the unequal distribution of care work.
• Guarantee the effective participation of women researchers in informal spaces and in decision-making.
• Promotion of measures seeking parity in the tasks and functions of each research-specific activity.
• A firm approach not only in designing and approving protocols against sexual harassment, but also in guaranteeing effective implementation and accountability.

The study is part of the Barcelona Science Plan 2020-2023.