98 replies to this topic

[pito]

Hey all,

how many female/ male co-workers or co-students do you have in your class, company?


In belgium almost all the biochemical, biotechnology and medical biology courses are filled with females.
(50% ratio and sometimes even 65-75% women)
(ex. biotechnology (biochemical) engineering, biotechnology ,and medical biotechnology especially. And specifically for the courses that are research orientated or to become a teacher, the industrial paths seem to attrackt more males.)
In my case: 12 students during the last year of education and 4 male, 8 female.

I wonder if it is in your country too?

Strangely at later stage (work, research and even to get a phd the women seem to be vanished: not a lot of women in research nor education.
(compared with the ratio during university at bachelor master stage)

[Doki]

9M : 3 F

[pito]

Nabi, on Mar 31 2009, 07:42 PM, said:

9M : 3 F

at work or at school?

It seems strange but at work there are more men then women (research or production or even teaching) here while at university there are more women in the specific domain.

[swanny]

Overall, in our institute, the balance is pretty even. On a lab-by-lab basis, however, the bias ranges from 100% female to 80% male (only the PI is female).

[Minnie Mouse]

In medical school, 50% male and 50% female students.

In research Institute, 80% female 20% male.
But in PI level, 80% male and 20% female.

[LostintheLab]

Nabi, on Apr 1 2009, 02:42 AM, said:

9M : 3 F

Our lab has changed ratio's today- 3M: 7F (of which 3 of us are PhD/Postdoc). At the senior level no females are professors in my department, I think I'm the furthest up the chain infact. All the technicians are women in our department and only 3 female PhD students in whole department.... equal rights has a long way to go here I think.

[Doki]

pito, on Apr 1 2009, 03:03 AM, said:

Nabi, on Mar 31 2009, 07:42 PM, said:

9M : 3 F

at work or at school?

It seems strange but at work there are more men then women (research or production or even teaching) here while at university there are more women in the specific domain.

Sorry. Wrote that in hurry.
(New Data)
1F-Lab Manager and Research Assoc(technician), 1F Research Assoc (tech), 1M Prof (MD-PhD), 4M (MD-PhD), 1F (MD-PhD Student), 6M (MD-PhD student)

[Minnie Mouse]

Nabi, on Mar 31 2009, 06:19 PM, said:

pito, on Apr 1 2009, 03:03 AM, said:

Nabi, on Mar 31 2009, 07:42 PM, said:

9M : 3 F

at work or at school?

It seems strange but at work there are more men then women (research or production or even teaching) here while at university there are more women in the specific domain.

Sorry. Wrote that in hurry.
(New Data)
1F-Lab Manager and Research Assoc(technician), 1F Research Assoc (tech), 1M Prof (MD-PhD), 4M (MD-PhD), 1F (MD-PhD Student), 6M (MD-PhD student)

Are you one of the MD-PhD student?

[Doki]

Minnie Mouse, on Apr 1 2009, 12:04 PM, said:

Are you one of the MD-PhD student?

Bull's eye!  

[pcrman]

Quote

(50% ratio and sometimes even 65-75% women)

That's realy a high ratio. Probably girls like biology more than boys?

[genehunter]

2:1, M:F

[pito]

what do you mean by  PI  ?

its not private investigator I suppose


And

Quote

That's realy a high ratio. Probably girls like biology more than boys?

I do not know, its just something I noticed.
There were always a lot of girls in the "medical" orientated courses and even biotechnology, biochemical courses (except the industry orientated ones), but once on the workfloor especially research and teaching they were gone... very strange.

[Telomerase]

Not strange, they just get pregnant. And drop out if the environment is not friendly enough.
Around 70% PhD students are female in here, and my institute is family-friendly, so three postdocs had a baby lately and one is already back, gradually starting the work. Basically you need the boss who is tolerant of maternal leave and later absences and can balance the team (like, the postdoc mom has responsible students, who will do the experiments while she's not there). Also here, there are science marriages and if she has a baby, he shares responsibilities and takes some mornings or days off, working odd hours.  
Family-friendly politics pays off to the boss, I guess - if you lose a valuable employee, you lose a part of knowledge she has.
In the faculty (the bosses), 17 F, 14 M.

Edited by Telomerase, 01 April 2009 - 01:15 PM.

[leelee]

Ooooo big call on this one Telomerase

Quote

And drop out if the environment is not friendly enough

!! I don't necessarily agree that women are any more sensitive to an unfriendly/uncomfortable work environment than men. In fact, the only people in my department to leave for personality clash reasons have been men (in the last 4 years I've been around anyway).

But I whole-heartedly agree that the reason that there are less women higher up in science is due to the baby factor. Luckily in Aus (and particularly at my uni) there is a big focus on keeping women in the work force, so many employers have maternity leave, back-to-work bonuses, child care facilities etc etc

In my lab, we have 3 men (all PIs, one is also Professor), and 4 women (3 PhD students, 1 PI).
In my department, I would say it is about 60% men in the upper levels (lab heads, lecturers, PIs, Professors), post-docs are 50:50, PhD students are 80% female.........and in undergrad classes, I'd say roughly even, but with yearly fluctuations.......


Oh, and I work in a Microbiology and Immunology department

[Telomerase]

leelee, on Apr 2 2009, 12:31 AM, said:

Ooooo big call on this one Telomerase

Quote

And drop out if the environment is not friendly enough

!! I don't necessarily agree that women are any more sensitive to an unfriendly/uncomfortable work environment than men. In fact, the only people in my department to leave for personality clash reasons have been men (in the last 4 years I've been around anyway).

I meant family friendliness, leelee.
Some institutes are more accustomed or tolerant to young mothers than others.