It bothers me that a discussion on "gender bias" has skewed so quickly to the maternity issue. Prior to a year ago, before I moved to Finland (from the US) for an academic research position, I might have been less bothered. I expected the "Scandinavian" stereotype of an egalitarian society... what else from a country with a 2-term female President, and where 70-80% of women of childbearing age work outside the home?
Finland's "Maternity Allowance Act" was passed in 1937; women get 9 months of paid maternity leave and job security; they can opt for a full two years (at less than full salary but with some job security) if they choose. In 1978, legislation made it legal for parents to share paid parental leave (fathers automatically get about a week of paid paternity leave). Municipal child care is free until the child enters school (7 years old). Given how long these parental leave policies have been in effect, I was curious if female ecologists here had better "pipeline" statistics than in the States or elsewhere. No, they don't. Looking at pooled numbers from three ecology departments at the University of Helsinki: Male:female professors (44 total) = 82%:18% Male:female docents/fellows (15 total) = 67%:33% Male:female lecturers (47 total) = 51%:49% From what I've seen (and this has been discussed elsewhere), women of equal professional accomplishments receive less recognition from their professional communities than their male counterparts. We are often passed over for the unpaid but important positions on journal editorial boards and governing bodies of professional societies. We are rarely invited or keynote speakers, or winners of prestigious awards. To cite one of the most egregious examples, all 26 volumes of the series "Excellence in Ecology" have been written by men (http://www.int-res.com/ecology-institute/eci-prize/). Authors are elected by a self-selecting group of previous authors and ECI members. I can think of 5 female ecologists off the top of my head who should have authored a volume by now. All of these recognitions of course become important for grant applications, faculty positions (and tenure), and networking (which begets more recognition and service to the community). Perhaps it is time to have a discussion about the influence of networking and biases in these networks? Audrey ------------------------- Audrey Mayer, Ph.D. Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences P.O. Box 27 (Latokartanonkaari 3) 00014 University of Helsinki Tel: (+358 3) 3551 8380 Fax: (+358 3) 3551 8537 Mobile: +358 40 818 3502 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
