BrownBag Series - May 2007 - Impact of increase of women in scientific research - Summary

Groups of women discuss provocative topics at locations in academia and industry throughout BC. The May topic is: What would the impact be on research direction of more women in science?

Locations: NRC and UBC

By Michelle La Haye

Introduction

Considering last month’s topic (Hard science doesn’t come naturally to women) this is a nice way to round up the year of Brown Bag Lunch discussions. Something which comes to mind immediately from this topic is the particular impact women can have on health research. As an example, it was not until a woman, Dr. Bernadine Healy, became director of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) that a particular major change in clinical studies was achieved. In 1991 the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) was created to investigate hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women. Prior to 1991, studies were severely lacking in that area. In fact, even before the studies were completed it turned out that one of the widely accepted hormone replacement treatments was actually to the detriment of women’s health by increasing the risk of breast cancer, heart attacks, strokes and clots [1]. In addition to establishing the WHI, during her tenure at NIH, Dr. Healy established a policy where funding for clinical trials was only granted to those that included both men and women when what was being studied affected both. According to her colleagues at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Healy was “someone who often challenged conventional wisdom and created new directions in research” [2]. This is a prime example of how women can affect the direction of research.

Because when they take on [leadership] roles, they often bring a fresh approach to situations that have persisted for years. From their particular vantage as women, they question received wisdom, look at familiar ideas from new angles, and sometimes ask if there’s not a better way to do things. [3]

– Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever

It is inarguable that women bring different perspectives, challenges and desires to any environment, whether it be research, high tech or family. An alternative view on research can only bring about new ideas which will lead to more and better research. The discussions at NRC and UBC this month focused around these ideas. To borrow a quotation from the group at NRC, “The process of knowledge production is becoming more reflexive and affects at the deepest levels of what shall count as “good science” Gibbons Michael et al 1994.

[1] NHLBI Stops Trial of Estrogen Plus Progestin Due to Increased Breast Cancer Risk, Lack of Overall Benefit, NIH News release, July 2002, http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/whi/pr_02-7-9.pdf.
[2] Biography Dr. Bernadine Healy, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/changingthefaceofmedicine/physicians/biography_145.html
[3] L. Babcock, S. Laschever, “Women Don’t Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide”, Princeton University Press, New Jersey, 2003.

Summaries

NRC

At NRC the discussion started by tackling the issue straight on: examining the difference between SEX, as the biological differences between male and female compared to GENDER, as the societal construct of the difference in the roles for the male and female members of society. They said that:

– A homogenous society or group will have more narrow ideas of research rather than a diverse group.

They discussed the following question, if Gender does have an impact, what type of impact do women have in shaping research directions?

– Equality is not about just about numbers (50/50) but about giving equal opportunities for both genders to lead the research. More focus on the individual rather than the sex/gender of the person.

And would this shaping be beneficial or detrimental to world science research?

– Men and women are different and because of that there may be different impacts in research if there were more women, different but not necessarily bad.

They summarised their discussion with the following: “the play of diversity in research, including diversity in gender, race, etc., is becoming more and more a necessity when pursuing excellence in current and future project demands.”

UBC

The discussion at UBC came from a different angle, looking at the impact of women researchers on the environment research is performed in and the feel of doing research. They said that changes would come in the form of:

– More accommodating work schedules allowing for family and childcare concerns – More networking and collaborating leading to new areas of research and new ideas – A stronger focus on topics related to women – An acceptance of women as researchers without labeling them as bossy or bitchy when they are successful

Participants felt that when more women are in research and in higher positions, change will be easier to facilitate and will positively impact everyone.