Connect for Success

When physicists Shobhana Narasimhan (JNCASR, Bangalore, India) and Elizabeth Simmons (Michigan State University, USA) felt compelled to help women in developing countries overcome gender-bias barriers in science, they turned to ICTP because of its efforts to advance science research in the developing world. From 16 to 19 September, the Centre is proud to host its first "Career Development Workshop for Women in Physics," which Narasimhan and Simmons organized with ICTP's help.

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The idea for the workshop arose when Narasimhan and Simmons attended last year's annual International Conference for Women in Science and Technology. The conference took place in sub-Saharan Africa, where many women in science struggle for equality and career advancement. Together with Southern and Western Asia, sub-Saharan Africa is one of the few remaining regions in the world where men still comprise the majority in tertiary education.

During one of the presentations, a local female scientist stood up amidst the crowd and spoke of her experience and frustration with discrimination. Her employers had removed her from her position when she asked for maternity leave. This act of discrimination shattered her faith in the local scientific community as well as discouraged her to continue with her research.

"The moment was so moving because of the responses from the crowd," Narasimhan recalls. "Other women spoke up and encouraged this lady to not give up and to keep fighting. It was then that I realized how much help women scientists in developing countries need and that we should do something for them."

Simmons adds that women in developing countries are in particular need of career-building workshops like the one at ICTP in mid-September. "These women sometimes experience a complete sense of isolation. Developed countries are now offering more workshops of this type, so we wanted to provide something to women who don't necessarily have access to these kinds of workshops," she explains.

The absence of a scientific-oriented culture coupled with the lack of funds and resources for science education and research makes it difficult for any aspiring scientist in a developing country, but particularly for women. Even if a woman obtains her PhD, many times she lacks mentors that can provide her with the practical skills scientists need to succeed, such as creating an informative CV, writing grant proposals for research funding, and preparing and giving effective presentations for networking.

Therefore, Narasimhan and Simmons have dedicated half of the workshop to practical sessions where participants will learn and practice the skills necessary to succeed throughout their career. The other half of the workshop will involve inspirational talks from such notable speakers as Sara Laschever, co-author of the book Women Don't Ask, and Rachel Ivie, who has written numerous papers on women in physics for the USA publication PhysicsToday, including "Women in physics: A tale of limits" and "The global survey of physicists: A collaborative effort illuminates the situation of women in physics."

Speakers and panelists come from both developed and developing countries and will address topics like unconscious bias and the role culture plays concerning women's fight for equality in their home country's scientific community. For example, many women in sub-Saharan Africa marry before they reach 20, which - with the expectations of raising children in a harsh environment - drastically limits their chances for career advancement. One speaker from Johannesburg, South Africa will address some of the additional challenges facing women in Africa.

"I agreed to be a speaker at this workshop in order to gain experience in career development, broaden my horizon and knowledge as well as share my view with regards to the social, religious, political and economic problems hindering the progress of women in physics in Africa. These include a lack of mentorship, poverty and social violence toward women, intimidation, and stereotype and superiority among men," says Iyabo Usman, who is a faculty member and experimental nuclear physicist at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is also a member of the women's support group Women in Physics in South Africa (WiPiSA), which is sponsored through the South African Institute of Physics.

Thirty-four male physicists greatly outnumber the four female physicists in Iyabo's department. She says that she hopes the workshop will give her "ways of coping within the male-dominated field by getting assistance through mentorship from established faculty members" who are participating in the workshop.

While women will comprise all of the workshop's participants and most of the speakers, there will also be male speakers at the event. It's important, Narasimhan explains, to include male speakers in order to show women that many male scientists are also supporters of this movement.  

Bringing women from all parts of the world together will help build a network that women can then use for advice, encouragement and support. When it comes to discrimination, it's important to understand you're not alone, Narasimhan says. Participants will get the chance to share their experiences and recognize similarities between theirs and others'. Narasimhan hopes this will help women learn to handle their own situations as well as understand discrimination when they come across it.

"Sometimes women who face discrimination may internalize the experience and think that they are being treated differently because they are not doing a good enough job or have other self-incriminating thoughts, when in reality it's because of their gender," she says.

Simmons adds, "We would also like the participants to take the knowledge they gain from the workshop back to their research institutions and inform and teach their female colleagues about what they learned."

Over 250 women from more than 40 countries applied for the workshop, of which about 40 will be attending. Narasimhan wishes they could have included many more, but funding restrictions intervened. The number of applications clearly indicates the need for this type of workshop, she says, and if she and Simmons organize a similar workshop in the future she hopes to gather more funds in order to provide more opportunities.