As part of our mission to foster diversity, equity and inclusion across research fields, we have added Women in Science Networking Events at select conferences. These events are designed to promote gender equity, while providing networking and career development opportunities for women scientists. Topics of discussion cover unique challenges and opportunities for women with careers in scientific research, including balancing family and career, mentorship, visibility and leadership:
All Fall 2024 meetings featured Women in Science Networking Events, which were well received by attendees, speakers and organizers alike.
We got extremely positive feedback. Many attendees came to me telling me they really enjoyed this event and the topics that we discussed. I hope it will have long lasting impact on some of the trainees.
--Jin Zhang, Organizer, Biomolecular Condensates: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Opportunities Conference
We discussed how important it is for leadership to "sponsor" members of their team that are underrepresented in leadership and science. For instance, one person at our table talked about how she was given leadership positions that made her feel like she belonged and was capable in the organization.In addition, we talked about how important it is for teams to build trust. In particular, we thought this was important for any leaders that might not have experienced specific challenges firsthand (feeling alienated, alone, or disrespected), to remain approachable and open to feedback, fostering a culture where team members feel safe to express concerns and collaborate effectively to find solutions.-- Dr. Valerie Horsley, Organizer, Fibrosis: Inflammation, Drivers, and Therapeutic Resolution Conference
Attendee Aarthi Narayanan shares her reflections on the Women in Science Networking Event:
The role of women in science continues to evolve in my experience, but remains a mixed bag. There are cases of forward momentum, while there are also challenges. I have been trying to find that balance in my own life and career for a long time now and I was interested to know how others felt, how I may be able to relate to others’ experiences, and how I may be able to gain different perspectives from those.
After attending this event, I still feel that the struggle is real and we are far away from finding a solution to it. But it has also made me more resolved to be a woman supporting women, to step in when I can, how I can to do what I can. This, I feel strongly about.
I think women are still struggling to “normalize” wanting balance in their lives. I can completely understand and relate when a woman tells me, “I am afraid that if I slow down to find that balance, my career would rapidly move 10 steps backwards.”
The status quo has changed significantly in the past 15 years or so, from the time when I had a small child. I was driving to work at 3 AM in the morning so that I could get home by 2 PM to care for my child. Maybe that has changed now and I hear more cases of paternity leave now-a-days. I have to say, I was taken aback when I heard someone wouldn’t be available for three months because they were on paternity leave. I had maternity leave for 6 weeks!!
So yes work-life balance has improved some in the past decade, but this is still a subject that women are not able to approach confidently. A woman who is invested in her career has to ask herself, “am I willing to take that risk of slowing down.” It is unfortunate that we still see “balance” as “slowing down.” We have a long way to go still to normalize the concept of “balance.” Maybe, doggedly pushing that concept front and center might help in the normalization process.
--Aarthi Narayanan, Professor, Department of Biology, George Mason University
Expanding the Initiative
Given the positive responses we are hearing from the community, we are expanding this initiative during the winter and spring conference season with the goal of implementing Women in Science Networking Events at over a dozen upcoming conferences:
Return to the December 2024 Keypoint Newsletter