Thread by @MichelleCardel

In honor of International #WomenInScienceDay
Turning Chutes into Ladders for Women Faculty: A Review and Roadmap for Equity in Academia

A Thread based on our newest publication : liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/jw…

(1/16): Institutional interventions can increase awareness of and commitment to establishing gender equity in hiring.

(2/16): Between 1961 and 2008, women who received paid leave had a greater odds of returning to work within 3–5 months after the birth of their first child, compared with women who did not receive or use paid leave.

(3/16): When surveyed about decisions to continue in research, twice as many women as men (44% vs. 20%) cite childcare and parenting as a critical decision factor.

(4/16): Implementing lactation support can have a positive impact on institutions by decreasing sick leave use by mothers, lowering turnover rates, increasing productivity, and improving morale and job satisfaction.

(5/16):When @UCDavis campaigned to promote academic culture flexibility & increase awareness of family-friendly policies, faculty reported a culture shift of⬆️work/life flexibility,⬇️use of biased language in recommendation letters, & gender balance of assistant professor hires.

(6/16): More women than men report difficulty in finding same-gender mentors due to fewer senior academic women and lack of effective mentoring programs.

(7/16): In one study, teaching evaluations for men focused on qualifications and course content, while evaluations of women focused on physical appearance and personality. Women are also less likely to be described with words such as ‘‘brilliant’’ or ‘‘genius.’’

(8/16): National survey data from >140 institutions found that women spend 31.2 more hours per year in service (controlling for rank, race, discipline) than men.

(9/16): In 2012, the proportion of women in high-ranking administrative positions was 12%; in 2018,of 58 NIH Clinical Translational Science Institutes, only 17.2% were led by women; and in early 2019, only 16% of
National Academy of Science members were women.

(10/16): Ultimately, this thread is just a snapshot of what we reviewed and wrote about so I highly encourage you to read and share our article with those in leadership positions at your institutions: liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/jw…

(11/16): Limitations: a focus on heteronormative binary gender norms primarily within the US. People of color and LBGTQ+ individuals (and the intersection of these with gender/sex) experience similar barriers, in even more pronounced ways, and deserve additional discussion.

(12/16): We also recognize other barriers to success in academia not addressed here, including but not limited to, reproductive health challenges, sexual harassment, and a lack of jobs available (among other issues). This was not an exhaustive review and much work to be done.

13/16): I want to thank our amazing team who came together for a writing retreat in Savannah, GA to brainstorm and begin writing this piece in September 2018 including @NohaSharafeldin @MandyWilligRD @berthahidalgo @DoriPekmezi @DrYararFisher and Christine Angelini.

(14/16): Also so grateful for team members who were not able to be at the writing retreat or joined later, @EmilyDhurandhar @DrSherryPagoto @StatGirlLAM @monicafoster007 and Nate Brown. I can't thank our writing team enough for all their hard work. A group of amazing people!

(15/16): Many thanks to @CaraGraphic for creating figures in the manuscript and @GatorCDO for providing financial and consistent support for the review paper. And to @lisascottbcd and others actively who fighting to make many of these changes. I am honored to work with you all.

(16/16): In the wise words of @MichelleObama, “Sameness breeds more sameness, until you make a thoughtful effort to counteract it.” So let’s all intentionally work together to make academia a more equitable place for all. It isn't easy, but it is worth it.