Thread by @EricaKayeMD

I joined Twitter yesterday, so maybe this isn’t the most chill opener…but I’d like to talk bluntly about misogyny in academia. I'm hoping to connect with other folks who are up for these conversations. A thread. 1/ #AcademicTwitter #WomenInScience

It’s shocking that women in academia, compared to men, make less money / have fewer high impact publications / smaller collaborative networks / are less likely to get promoted / achieve tenure / hold leadership positions – said no woman in medicine or science ever. 2/

This is boring, old news to woman in academia. The fact that it continues to surprise men is, at its core, a big part of the problem. Broken systems can’t get fixed when people who sit at decision-making tables don’t recognize misogyny as boring, old news infrastructure. 3/

As institutions start to vocalize a desire to “fix the problem,” I’ve been hearing more stories from women in science and medicine who are being asked (typically by men in authority positions) to “demonstrate that…” and/or “explain why…” gender disparities happen. 4/

Women shouldn’t carry this burden of proof. Like most “well-intended” microaggressions, asking women to invest energy/time in unpacking or justifying emotions about a system that (at best) upholds gender discrimination is unhelpful. It’s a labor tax that compounds the problem. 5/

Although this is a thread about women in general, it’s crucial to own that women of color in academia bear at least double the burden of proof, microaggressions, and compounded disparities at the intersection of gender and race. It’s a labor tax with insane interest rates. 6/

I think it’s great that more institutions are acknowledging gender (and racial) disparities in academia. But acknowledgments are lip service unless immediately backed by 1) concrete action items with 2) tracked deliverables on 3) an accountable timeline. 7/

I’m curious to hear what (if any) action items you guys think are useful or effective. Teach me about ideas or existing policies that have potential to mitigate gender disparities in academia. I’d love to connect with and learn from others interested in this topic. @STEMWomen 8/