• Question: Have you ever been discriminated against for being a female and if so what happened??

    Asked by Clodagh on 19 Nov 2020.
    • Photo: Malgorzata Dabrowska

      Malgorzata Dabrowska answered on 19 Nov 2020:

      Hi Clodagh,

      Personally I have never come across any discrimination because of being a woman. Not in science, neither in my private life. I can say that I was always treated fairly and judged by my work and achievements and not by who I am. I have noticed that it’s more and more popular to organize special events, funding, competitions etc only for women nowadays. I don’t feel a big need for that, because I always felt equal with the others and never felt less then someone, only because of my gender.

    • Photo: Liudmila Khokhlova

      Liudmila Khokhlova answered on 19 Nov 2020:

      Hi,
      I worked as an electronic engineer and all my colleagues happened to be male, now I am in research for a while, but I always was judged by my professional skills and achievements (shout out to my current and former employers!).

      However, some issues do exist even though they might be less noticeable. I did hear a few jokes/commentaries about women not being made for technical jobs. One such comment came from an employer representative, who was speaking with future graduates about potentially hiring them. Definitely, not a company I would ever apply for.

      I am generally against this 50/50 workplace approach that sometimes is encouraged and it is a bit absurd if you ask me, but I do believe in educating people. And I have high hopes for future generations!

    • Photo: Lara Codeca

      Lara Codeca answered on 19 Nov 2020:

      Hi, it happened to me while I was studying at university, but it never stopped me. I always raised my head and demonstrated that I was more than capable of doing what was required.
      Life got easier during my Ph.D. and afterward, there the meritocracy was working quite well.
      And I do agree with Liudmila on the 50/50. I’m all in for equality. I want the more qualified person to take the job; how quotas are implemented right now makes them odd, and not always useful.

    • Photo: Suzy Whoriskey

      Suzy Whoriskey answered on 27 Nov 2020:

      Hi Clodagh,

      I feel very lucky because I don’t feel like I’ve ever been discriminated against for being female. I am fully aware that happens in many disciplines, but in the universities I have worked in, there’s been many influential female members of staff, and all the staff (male and female) are very supportive. I have also always been judged fairly on the quality of my work and ability.

      As well, a large part of my job is encouraging other females to excel in STEM subjects, so sometimes I do hear stories from other women (or young girls) and it astonishes me!

      Suzy

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