Getting Up and Out: How Education Spurred Two Life-Changing Decisions

Posted on March 11, 2016 by Nathalie Pettorelli

HattieBy H.E. James. Hattie is a writer and researcher living in Boise, Idaho.  She has a varied background, including education and sports journalism.  She is a former electronic content manager and analyst for a government agency.  She holds an MBA and enjoys local ciders. 

 

 

Education is a powerful tool.  It can open doors, widen horizons, and it can even close doors.  You might be inclined to think that education closing doors is a bad thing, but in some cases it’s not.

There is a proverb that states that when one door closes, another opens.  It sounds cliche, but proverbs are there for a reason: they’re usually right.  About two years ago, I made a decision about my education that closed the door on a huge part of my life.  Yet once that door started to close, another opened, and I know that the educational decision I made was the right one.

 

Two Glass Ceilings for the Price of One

My education decision mirrored one a friend and former coworker made handful of years before I did.  We became good friends while working for different divisions of the same department for one of our local municipalities.  Stephanie and I started at our former employer at nearly the same time.  She was a fire plans examiner, and I was the records technician, so we had to collaborate often.

Stephanie came to our employer because she had hit a glass ceiling in her profession: as a woman in the general field of electrical engineering and fire systems design, if she wanted to advance her career, she was going to have to advance her education.

What better way to do that than with a “cushy” government job that gave her stability and even tuition reimbursement?  She’d started her electrical engineering degree before coming to the municipality, but she was a single mom with two young kids when she started.

Finishing that degree took Stephanie nine years.  She could take just two to three classes a semester, fitting her schedule around work and her children.  This is one time I cannot empathize with Stephanie.  I am single and childless.  If I have to work around anything, it’s the plans I make with friends or a niece’s or nephew’s birthday party.

Once Stephanie finished her degree, a second glass ceiling appeared: she was now over-qualified for both her job and for the employer we had.  Though I was sad to see my friend, and one of the few fellow women with whom I had true camaraderie, leave our work, I knew Stephanie needed to do it.

To become a licensed Electrical Engineer in our state, you must pass the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam and then work for five years under the supervision of an engineer who has been licensed.  This opportunity was not available to Stephanie at our former employer.  Education was closing a door for her.

 

My Turn

I never thought I’d find myself in the same position as Stephanie, but about two years later, I started to grow unsatisfied.  I was bored with just about everything, especially my job.  I needed to add a challenge to it, so I decided it was time to get my MBA.

After I finished my degree and left our former employer, Stephanie and I talked about our experiences.  I got my degree online, and Stephanie admitted that her degree took so long because she didn’t do enough research into engineering programs before she picked one.

She told me that if she had to do it all over again, she’d do two things: she’d pick a school that specialized in engineering, and she’d pick one that offered programs for non-traditional students, like Arizona State University Online, which has been serving students like me and Stephanie for more than eight years.

Yet even though I chose my program with a little more insight than my friend admitted she did, I still fell into the trap of thinking that I could get to the next level in my former organization just by getting my MBA.  I was wrong.

Instead, just like Stephanie, I hit that second glass ceiling: my educational ambitions had now become a barrier to career development instead of a means to it.

 

Finding Our Niches

I followed in Stephanie’s footsteps about eight months ago: I let my education close a door.  Just as Stephanie’s education and her experience closed one door and opened another, mine did as well.  Stephanie now works as an Electrical Control Engineer at a huge Idaho engineering firm.  I now work a day job for a local tech startup.

During my MBA experiences, I was asked to pick a dream job.  Months before I let my education close one door and open another, I stated that I would love to work at a local tech startup and help it grow.  Stephanie and I both have found our places, and we couldn’t be happier.

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10 Reasons You Should Sign up for Soapbox Science 2016

Posted on February 17, 2016 by Nathalie Pettorelli

There are only a few days left to sign up for Soapbox Science 2016, which is happening in various cities across the UK and Ireland this year. We’re looking for women in science from PhD students to Professors, and from entry-level researchers to entrepreneurs, who are passionate about science and want to spread the word.

 

Applying to join an event is easy to do. There’s a short form that’s quick and easy to complete, and you can fill it in online.

 

But why should you put your name down? We can give you 10 good reasons!

 

  1. Engage people who might not otherwise encounter science

Unlike the majority of other science events and festivals, where the audience have made a conscious decision to go and interact with science and scientists, Soapbox Science really does take science to the streets. Or the park. Or the beach! The people you’ll talk to may not have intended to engage with science, but once they encounter our speakers they’re certainly drawn in. Our evaluation shows that over 80% found it enjoyable and 100% would come again!

 

  1. Inspire the next generation

Families and school children make up a large percentage of the Soapbox Science audience, and we want to show them that science is fascinating, exciting and fun. Who better to inspire the next generation of scientists than women in science who are passionate about what they do, and can show the breadth of subjects, disciplines and applications there are out there!

 

  1. Break down stereotypes, become a role model

Science is still a male-dominated field, and although the visibility of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine is growing, it’s still low. The public perception of scientists is still that of the male researcher, so by having an all-female group of speakers at Soapbox Science, we are beginning to challenge and change that view. This has important implications for encouraging more girls to take up STEM subjects, so by taking part in Soapbox Science you are challenging stereotypes and acting as a role model for future women in STEM.

 

  1. Join the Soapbox Science Alumni

With speakers like Athene Donald, as a Soapbox Science Alumni you’ll be in illustrious company! We aim to get a spread of career levels speaking across all our events, from PhD students to Professors, so you’ll also have the chance to talk to other women in science, share thoughts and opinions, and seek advice.

 

  1. Science Communication Training

The Soapbox Science Team organise a series of training events across the UK that speakers are invited to join. Benefit from the knowledge of our guest speakers who will help you improve your communication skills this year. Previous guests have included the Infinite Monkey Cage host Robin Ince and explorer and wildlife presenter Dr George McGavin. We also have a trained science communicator on the team who can help answer your questions and address your concerns.

 

  1. Support in developing your event

From science communication training to deciding what props to use, the Soapbox Science team will be there to support you. There’s funding available to help cover reasonable prop production costs, and there’ll be a team of Soapbox Science volunteers on hand on the day to support each speaker, recruit an engaged audience, and ensure you have an enjoyable experience.

 

  1. Increase the visibility of your work

With Soapbox Science, you’ll have the chance to share your research with hundreds of people at our events, but that’s not all. We showcase and profile each of our Soapbox Science speakers online in blog posts, interviews and videos, so your research will reach a significant audience.

 

  1. Experience something different

It may sound intimidating, but we guarantee that speaking at Soapbox Science is an experience you’ll never forget. All our previous speakers have really enjoyed the chance to talk with the general public in such an informal, unusual way, and they’ve often gone on to participate in more science communication events.

 

  1. Increase your professional reputation

Soapbox Science has received significant attention in the media, with articles and interviews featured online, in the printed press, broadcast media and within the scientific press. We’ve had blog posts by Soapbox Science speakers published in the mainstream national press, including the Guardian and the Independent. We work to highlight the profile and work of our speakers on the Soapbox Science website, and beyond.

 

  1. Boost your personal and professional development

Our Soapbox Science alumni have benefitted personally and professionally from their experience. They’ve told us of many opportunities that have come as a result of their involvement, including receiving recognition within their University or organisation, invitations to join Athena SWAN committees, opportunities to become Departmental Outreach Leaders, and more!

 

Have we convinced you? Sign up for one of our events this summer!

 

 

 

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SoapBox Science is coming to Hull

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Nathalie Pettorelli

Calling all Yorkshire female scientists!

The countdown for Hull UK City of Culture 2017 has already begun. There is less than a year to go until Hull hosts the UK’s next big cultural event, but that is not all that is happening. This year Soapbox Science is coming to Hull for the first time!

Soapbox Science is a science communication event that aims to increase the visibility of women in science and also engage the public.

The concept is very simple – bring female scientists close to the public, by explaining what their research is, all whilst standing on top of a soapbox!

We are now calling for speakers to join us in our Soapbox Science in Hull! We would like to welcome any female scientists from STEMM disciplines to apply, from PhD students to professors. If you are interested in joining us as a speaker at our Hull event on Saturday, September 3rd, please apply via the form available here. Deadline: 26th Feb!

isabelDr. Isabel Pires, a lecturer and cancer research scientist at the University of Hull, is one member of the Hull Soapbox Science organising team, and was herself a participant in the 2014 London event. She says: “It was great fun! I was a little nervous at first but once I started talking I really enjoyed it. Also, the training offered by the Soapbox Science team was really helpful, and the whole experience opened doors to me both at work and externally. It was a great platform to increase my visibility as a scientist.” You can hear her Soapbox Science talk and motivation for participating in the event here.

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Sign up & join us in Newcastle this June

Posted on February 5, 2016 by Nathalie Pettorelli

Are you a female scientist? Do you want to share your enthusiasm and explain your science to everyone but aren’t sure how? It’s easy! Sign up to stand on a soapbox and help turn Grey’s Monument area in Newcastle city centre into a hub for science.

 

SSNewcastle

 

Our team of Soapbox Science organisers – Dianne Ford, Paula Salgado, Nancy Rios, Kevin Waldron, Lis Lowe, Joanna Keith. Kirsty Steed joins us for the 2016 event.

 

 

 

Soapbox?! Yes! That is exactly what we mean. Running for the sixth time across the country and for the second time in Newcastle, Soapbox Science brings female scientists close to the public, showcasing their fantastic work. We know it sounds weird, so here’s what people thought about our event last year: https://youtu.be/lUwlqRejo-Y

 

“Getting up on the Soapbox and shouting out ‘what do you think of when you hear the word bacteria?’ was possibly one of the most nerve-wracking experiences I’ve had, but people immediately coming to tell me what they thought, and having a great chat about all things related to gut bacteria was very reassuring and loads of fun, and the time flew by. I’m actually quite disappointed I can’t do it again!” Dr Lis Lowe, speaker last year and one of the organisers

 

If you’re still unsure, you can read what our speakers and volunteers thought, and also meet the team that will help you get your science to the people of Newcastle: https://blogs.ncl.ac.uk/icamblog/tag/soapbox-science/

 

We’d like to hear from female scientists at any career stage, from students to professors, from academia to industry, from microbiology to astrophysics – all are welcome! So please, sign up to join us on June 18th, at Monument in Newcastle. We can’t guarantee the sun will be shining again, but we are sure you will have a brilliant time – we did! And if you’re still no sure, would like to know more or talk to one of the speakers from last year to before signing up, just drop us an email: soapboxscience.newcastle@gmail.com

 

 

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Back to Science, against all odds

Posted on September 2, 2015 by Nathalie Pettorelli

3f952651b91226dd0075bfede82bcad6Dr Graziella Iossa is a Back to Science Fellow at the School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln. She is a zoologist particularly interested in behavioural and evolutionary ecology having used mammals and insects as study systems. Graziella talks about her journey to becoming a zoologist, leaving academia while starting a family, changing jobs and then returning to science nearly five years after she left. Follow Graziella on twitter: @g_iossa

 

I was delighted when I was asked to write about my experience of returning to science after a prolonged break for SoapBox Science. Too many of our stories go untold. The more we talk about how women can stay in (or return to) science, the more women will be inspired. Or so I hope.

 

When I left secondary school I was unsure which subject to choose at university. So I did what I loved most, I read (lots) and spoke to as many people (and women) as possible about different university degrees. I settled for Natural Sciences and really enjoyed it. I based my choice on my happiest childhood memories spent walking up mountains with my family exploring the landscape and nature. As Seirian points out, the seeds for the love of science are planted early, in primary school years. I especially loved my final year project were I was collecting and analysing data. So after a brief detour at a local environmental centre, I started to look for funding for a PhD abroad. It took me nearly a year of some serious searching in public libraries and trawling through the Internet to find the right scholarship to come to the UK.

 

During my PhD I really discovered my love for research and in my lab I also met my husband. Once we both finished our PhDs we married and I started a postdoc but I also really wanted to start a family. I had done well during my PhD, I had published a number of good quality papers but I had also had to work part-time as my scholarship only funded my first two years of study. The continuous search for funding, the highly competitive nature of the academic world, and my desire to start a family seemed highly incompatible with research to me. After much thought and some career coaching, I decided to move away from academia and try something different. Scientific publishing seemed the natural choice to me.

 

Throughout my PhD a young and successful Reader at my university took the role of my internal tutor, following my progresses. We seldom met, but she always struck me with her encouraging and very thoughtful comments. During my brief postdoc I entered a mentoring scheme for women in ecology and she happened – by chance – to be paired to me as my mentor. She was sad to know that I wanted to leave academia but helped me put together a strong application and I landed a fantastic job opportunity starting a new scientific journal in my research field.

 

Meanwhile my first boy was born and my husband was looking for his next research position. This meant that he could look after him for most of the time when I went to work and, for the rest of the time, our baby would be in a nursery. I had taken a nine-month maternity leave and really loved looking after our baby. I found returning to work really hard. When I was expecting our second child, my husband found a research position abroad and so we moved to Scandinavia at the beginning of my second maternity leave about a month before my due date. I took a year maternity leave and when that ended, we were still abroad so I had to commute between my home and my job in the UK, spending one week out of every two away. I found being away from my family really challenging. Having been two years in publishing, I found that my job was becoming more repetitive and I could dedicate less time to liaising with the senior and associate editors, the part I enjoyed the most.

 

During these years, I never lost touch with my mentor and about a couple of times a year I would be in touch and let her know how I was getting on. In the second year in which we were living abroad, I fell pregnant for a third time. Just as I began my third maternity leave, my husband found a permanent position at a UK university and so we came back to the UK. I started thinking that I did not feel publishing suited my skills and that I was much happier when I was doing research. Perhaps moving away from academia had not been a good move for me. It felt natural to turn to my mentor again and talk to her openly about my feelings: was I too late to go back? Her encouragement was pivotal to my decision to go back. I started thinking of possible projects, contacted a couple of university and finally found a supervisor at my local university. It took me about a year of searching and applications but I finally found the right scheme, the Back to Science Fellowship, at the University of Lincoln. The scheme allows me to do research part-time fitting it around my family commitments while at the same time providing funding for training to bring my skills up-to-date with current research.

 

Becoming a parent has changed me and taught me how to overcome challenges in a way that I had never envisaged before. It is odd that I thought academia was incompatible with family life because, as my mentor pointed out several years ago now, an academic job is one those few jobs that can be truly flexible and accommodate people’s needs. I never thought I could go back to academia nearly five years after leaving it but here I am I have made the first step. It will be no easy task to get up-to-date with research findings, developing and furthering my skills and establish myself into my own field, but I am really enjoying it. I am hoping that writing about my experience will inspire more women to believe that it is possible to move back into academia after a career break.

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Open season for female scientists

Posted on July 28, 2015 by Nathalie Pettorelli

Dr-JB.jpgBy Dr Joanna Bagniewska (@JMBagniewska), University of Reading. Catch Joanna on her soapbox today, 12-3pm, in Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens, where she’ll be talking about ‘What do scientists see in poo?’. 

 

 

Because I’m a zoologist working in a rather gender-balanced and female-friendly environment, I have for a long time thought that the discrimination of women in STEM is a largely exaggerated problem. But then it hit me with the force of a charging elephant (the one that’s in the room).

A couple of years ago I found myself at an engineering conference, eager to develop collaborations for a biotelemetry project. My enthusiasm for networking was, however, curbed very quickly – to be precise, at the point when the organisers gave “a warm welcome to the engineers and the beautiful ladies”. From then on things went downhill. The conference crowd consisted mainly of middle-aged, moustached men who insisted on telling me to “smile”, while asking my male colleagues about the details of their projects. They posed for pictures with me, as if I were a Disneyland mascot. During lunch some said that they would like to sit opposite my female friend and me because “such a great sight whets their appetites”. Have I said something ditzy to encourage this attitude? No – I have not even had a chance to open my mouth before the judgment was passed: a young and pretty female surely can’t be competent.

To be honest, they were not trying to be sexist – they were simply trying to be nice. Well, it is nice to be complimented, but there’s a time and a place for everything. If I wanted to be noticed for my looks alone, I would have completed a four day make-up course, and not a four year PhD. Plus, I don’t mind a bus driver calling me “my love” in passing, but I do mind when a conference participant calls me that, while simultaneously addressing my male colleague as “Dr Smith”. This, incidentally, is notorious in panel discussions, when the chair switches between “and now we will hear from Dr William Jones” and “would you like to add anything to that, Suzie?”.

Yet this casual sexism of the middle-aged engineers proved almost endearing compared to my experience at a business conference. There, the businessmen simply assumed that any female under the age of thirty is provided purely for their entertainment. Young women who tried to network and obtain business contacts very quickly found themselves fondled or groped. Some dealt with it through icy politeness (“Excuse me, but this is MY buttock!” – “Well, I wouldn’t be grabbing my own now, would I, kitten?” – “Then be so kind as to leave mine alone, too”) thus gaining the label of “cold” and “difficult”; some were too shocked and panicked to react (you don’t normally expect the head of a major publishing house to put his hand up your skirt in the middle of a conversation, do you?); others would stay close to a group of trusted male friends, counting on masculine territoriality to take effect. Needless to say, my female colleagues and I did not leave this conference with new connections or feedback on our start-up ideas – we left with a trauma, feeling like game animals in open season.

Worryingly, the response from a lot of colleagues, to whom I told the stories later, was “oh well, you’ll turn fifty and then you’ll miss these behaviours; treat them as flattery; lap them up while you’re young”.

This text is not meant to be a generic rant against mankind – most men I know are lovely and supportive, and, in fact, some have had similarly traumatic experiences with predatory cougars. It’s an appeal, to both men and women, for professionalism. Don’t take advantage of others; don’t use your status to intimidate or bully; if you witness sexism – call people out on it. It’s a plea to those high up on the academic ladder – show support to the newbies, they are most vulnerable to abuse and less likely to stand up for themselves for the fear of burning key bridges in their career. It’s not rocket science, just basic human decency – but if all of these points were obvious to everyone, the two conferences I described would have been a much better experience for all.

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Don’t let anyone convince you that females are not good for science: Meet Cristina Lazzeroni

Posted on June 10, 2015 by Nathalie Pettorelli

cid_FA78605C-9108-4473-8E96-7EE029C2E802.jpgCristina Lazzeroni is a reader in Particle Physics at the School of Physics and Astronomy in the University of Birmingham. Her research is in Particle Physics,  in which she studies the building blocks of matter and their interactions. In particular, she investigates the difference in behaviour between matter and anti-matter at a fundamental level, and its implications on the world around us. Catch Cristina on her Soapbox Near Princesshay Square, Exeter City Centre, on June 13th 1-4pm, where she will be talking about “How we ended up in a Universe made almost entirely of matter”.  Her talk is sponsored by the Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC).

 

SS:  Cristina, how did you get to your current position?

CL: I studied Physics in Italy, and did a PhD there in Particle Physics. Then I moved to Edinburgh as a post-doc, and 2 years later to Cambridge. Then I was awarded a Royal Society University Fellowship, which 3 years later won me a permanent position at the University of Birmingham, where I am now.

 

SS: What, or who, inspired you to get a career in science?

CL: Well, I have always liked to understand how things works, why they happen etc.  I was fortunate to have a family that value knowledge and understanding and hard work. At school I was inspired both by physics and by philosophy because both are trying to explain the most basics things around us, and I have always felt that to understand things properly I need to start from the very beginning. After some thinking, I decided I wasn’t good enough to be a proper philosopher but I could be a reasonably good scientist!

 

SS: What is the most fascinating aspect of your research?

CL: What I find most fascinating is that it is about the most basic things of all: the building blocks of everything around us! I also like that it is very much related to maths and fundamental concepts like symmetries.

 

SS: What attracted you to Soapbox Science in the first place?

CL: The very idea of standing in a street with a prop and talking to people about what I do; I am curious to see who will stop to listen!

 

SS: Sum up in one word your expectations for the day – excitement? fear? thrill? anticipation?

CL: Fun!

 

SS: What would be your top recommendation to a female PhD student considering pursuing a career in academia? 

CL: Don’t let anyone tell you, or worse convince you, that females are not good for science!

 

 

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Why Soapbox Science?

Posted on May 18, 2015 by soapboxscience

IMG_5243By Miss Lydia Bach (@lylubach), Queen’s University Belfast.

Lydia will stand on one of our soapboxes in Glasgow, on the 7th of June.

She will be talking about food webs, with a talk entitled:  “Food (webs) for thought – Or when I realised that marine food webs behave just like Facebook does”

 

 

Soapbox Science is an engagement project promoting female scientists and the cutting edge science they are doing. Over the past five years Soapbox Science has been an incredibly successful initiative expanding to Exeter, Newcastle, Belfast and Glasgow this year.

IMG_0358I am looking forward to be part of the Soapbox Science speakers team this year to chat about how networks like Facebook are similar to my PhD research – coastal food webs. If you find that hard to believe, come and chat to me about it: 7th of June, Glasgow. As most scientists will probably tell you, their science is particularly important. I’d like to say mine is too. Working on food web and food chains in coastal areas around the UK will help us to understand how these ecosystems work, and how we depend on them. By understanding the structure of the food web network, I might be able to predict how species invasion and extinction will affect the coastal areas we depend on, and the services we gain from them.

Journal publications are the currency in science and to be able to get a position after my PhD I really should be focusing on my analysis and publishing. So what am I doing at Soapbox?

 

1/ Communicating science

Learning to communicate science: Particularly as an early career researcher it is important to learn how to engage with the public, and speak about the science I do in a less formal manner. Soapbox Science is a great opportunity to learn how to do just that, to improve my engagement skills and to chat to people at the event. It is motivating to get out of the lab to chat about the science I am passionate about, but might also help me to think of new ideas and gain insights that might help me with my work.

 

Publish or perish (not): The benchmark of research is publishing work in peer-reviewed, often highly specialized journals. In the world of academia, scientists are assessed by the journal publications, and to a much lesser extend by science communication or engagement. In reality, article publications are the currency of science, although engagement with the media or public is becoming more important. I’d like to think that Soapbox Science contributes to pushing that boundary, by giving scientists a platform to encourage science communication as an important part of the science career.

 

Accessible science: Most scientific studies published aren’t accessible to just anyone in the public. The majority of peer-reviewed research is published in subscription journals, which are only accessible to those who work in institutes such as universities. In 2011, only ~2.5% of all journal articles published were open access. That’s quite shocking, given that we should be able to disseminate and share new knowledge fast to make a greater impact.

 

Papers aren’t read: Ironically, those papers don’t get read or cited (referenced in other papers) all that often. About half of all scientific papers have less than four citations and one fifth of the papers have no citations at all. So who benefits from scientific research if many papers aren’t read or referenced by scientists, or we fail communicate our research in other ways?

 

Language: Even if scientific papers were accessible, I doubt that the language used and scientific jargon would in mainstream media or with the public. Most times even I find it hard to get through a scientific paper without being particular switched on or on the appropriate coffee dose (2 cups). I’d like to learn how to accurately communicate what I am working on, without losing scientific integrity or my audience.

 

Building trust: It is vital that people trust that the work that is being funded using taxes is important and feel that it has direct positive implications for society. I think only if we succeed in emphasizing the importance, implications and novelty of what scientists are doing, we can gain the trust back science may have lost because we’ve been sitting in our ivory tower for a little too long.

 

 

2/ Women in science

Jane with Uruhara pant-hooting, 1996.Role models: I would argue, when we think scientist, we don’t immediately think women. The first thing that comes to my mind is the picture of elderly bearded lab coat wearing geek (- I too think in stereotypes). Younger girls (and boys) need more female role models to look up to. When I was at school I had an amazing and encouraging biology teacher and I read all of Jane Goodall’s books about science, chimps and conservation. I don’t know if I had pursued a science career without having role models to look up to when I was younger. I would like to think that it makes a huge difference for girls to see women do jobs they didn’t expect them to do.

 

Role models in academia: I am still looking for role models, and they are a bit harder to find in academia. In the Royal Society, one of the UKs most prestigious societies recognising excellence in science, women only make 5% of the fellows and in 2012, only two of the 44 newly appointed fellows were female. Sure things are changing; the number of female professors for example is increasing slowly. However, more than four in five professors are men. It can only be beneficial to connect to other female academics during Soapbox Science events and seek out the role models especially female early career researchers are looking for.

 

Vanishing females: What is fantastic is that nowadays many girls decide at university, with about 59% of undergraduate degrees went to women. However, that figure doesn’t look so rosy once we move past the undergraduate degree in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) sciences, where women make up only 35% of PhD graduates, 32% of academic entry level and 23% of the middle rank positions, and only 11% of professors.

Although at the beginning of their studies, 72% of women express an intention to pursue careers as researchers, by their final PhD year that number drops to 37%.

This is because of a large number of things including family planning, inconvenient working hours, and lack of mentoring, career support or role models. A lot is done about it. For example, the Athena SWAN initiate is actively promoting equality in the workplace. The Soapbox event is part of doing just that.

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