Creating Workplace Environments that Attract, Retain and Advance Women Scientists through policies and actions that promote inclusion, diversity and equity.

 

Achieving gender equality in science necessitates addressing ongoing workplace challenges. While some women may voluntarily opt to leave scientific careers, many do so due to unsupportive, biased or even hostile workplace cultures. Often, the lack of family-friendly, work-life balance measures and affordable childcare make it difficult for parents (mostly mothers) to stay in the system. In addition, instances of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour remain widespread in science, with one in two female scientists having reported experiencing sexual harassment at work in a 2022 study [xvii]. A shift in the structure and culture of science workplaces is urgently needed to attract, retain and advance women scientists. Encouragingly, fostering a diverse scientific workforce is increasingly viewed as a marker of investor confidence and excellence in the private sector [xviii]. One trend of concern is known as the ‘leaky pipeline’, in which the gender gap widens as women progress in their scientific careers. In academia, women's representation diminishes at each career stage, as women progress from doctoral students to earlycareer professors or lecturers, then to tenured professors and to directors of research, deans or other leadership positions. Women are also underrepresented in elevated positions in research governance structures, including in academies of science and science councils [xix]. 

Recommended actions:

Enact evidence-based gender-responsive institutional policies, including by:

 instituting mandatory training sessions on gender stereotypes and genderresponsive leadership for managers, evaluation committees and recruitment officers to recognize and address implicit biases in their decision-making processes and underlying technologies, such as hiring, promotions and funding allocations; 

applying equal remuneration for work of equal value and mandating transparency in pay and promotion decisions;

 prioritizing longer-term contracts to support life choices and family planning; actively supporting work-life balance by enhancing childcare support measures, improving maternity leave, paternity leave, adoption leave and shared parental leave benefits, and by providing flexible working hours and teleworking arrangements;

 establishing re-integration pathways for women scientists whose careers have been affected by motherhood and other family-related reasons; 

establishing re-integration pathways for female scientists whose careers have been disrupted by harassment or discrimination; 

monitoring the impacts of the gender-responsive policies put in place. 

Creating Workplace Environments that Attract, Retain and Advance Women Scientists through policies and actions that promote inclusion, diversity and equity 

Take action against gender-based violence, including sexism and sexual harassment, by: 

implementing effective anti-harassment policies or strategies and clear human resources guidelines, covering both prevention (training to address sexism and sexual harassment) and response (strict punishments for perpetrators), with thorough impact assessment; 

establishing robust mechanisms and guidelines for reporting harassment in a safe environment which is equipped with adequate support systems; 

fostering a culture of accountability and collaboration as opposed to supporting work environments that elevate individual team leaders to an ‘untouchable’ status and support an abuse of power. 

Promote women in leadership positions by:

 collecting and reporting gender-disaggregated data at each management level to monitor and promote gender equality within organizations; 

supporting open-access soft skills training programmes, such as in leadership and negotiation, to enhance the professional development of female scientists; 

increasing the number of female members of academies of science, hence providing exemplary figures who inspire and pave the way for others; developing accessible databases and platforms that identify and provide contact information for female leaders in science to facilitate their involvement in panels, events and committees; 

promoting collaborations among female scientists, including through formal mentorship, sponsorship and networking programmes to allow them to share their experience with others and to facilitate collective learning. 

Foster collaborative research environments that nurture group efforts, reward teamwork and incentivise excellence in research including that which addresses societal needs and benefits society at large, including the vulnerable and the most marginalized. 

Foster welcoming research environments that provide training and opportunities for all participants within a culture of equality, building shared norms of gender equality through education, trainings and allyship endeavours for men and women in science. 

Encourage partnerships with female-owned or female-led businesses in the science sector. 

Invest in collecting sex- and gender-disaggregated data on a regular basis at country level to devise evidence-based policies and monitor progress in closing the gender gap. Such data should indicate female representation and inclusion among researchers and trainees across disciplines, educational levels and career levels.