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Sticky steps and the gender gap: how thoughtful practices could help keep caregivers in science
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Sticky steps and the gender gap: how thoughtful practices could help keep caregivers in science

Stephanie Meirmans, Dunja K. Lamatsch and Maurine Neiman
Proceedings of the Royal Society. B, Biological sciences, Vol.289(1987), pp.20221837-20221837
11/16/2022
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1837
PMCID: PMC9667356
PMID: 36382515
url
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.1837View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Many fewer women than men hold senior academic positions, a widely recognized and increasing problem. Our goal is to identify effective and feasible solutions. We begin by providing an in-depth assessment of the drivers of this gender inequity. In our synthesis of existing data, we provide many lines of evidence highlighting caregiving as a primary main factor. This is not a ‘new’ insight per se, but a point worth repeating that we back up by a strong and synthetic body of recent data. We also believe that our analysis provides a step forward in tackling a complex issue. We then develop a more detailed understanding of the challenges academic caregivers face and discuss whether and why it is important to keep caregivers in science. We find that the attrition due to caregiving should not be seen as a factor but rather as a process with multiple ‘sticky steps’ that eventually drive caregivers out of science—which, as we argue, is partly also good news. Indeed, it is here that we believe actions could be taken that would have a real impact: for example, one could effectively increase and expand upon current funding practices that focus on caregiver career advancement.
 Biological Science Practices Caregiving Funding Gender Leaky Pipeline Matilda Effect

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