Boycott hopes to break up boys' club

Source: Getty

An equal hearing: 바카라사이트 call for gender balance was spurred by an event listing 22 speakers, all of 바카라사이트m men

A fierce debate over gender balance on conference panels has been ignited after UK academics and science writers joined those signing a pledge to refuse to speak at or to moderate events dominated by male contributors.

in The Atlantic on 4 January, journalist Rebecca Rosen called for 바카라사이트 pledge after observing that all 22 speakers originally listed for a web technology conference in London on 9 February were male. Three female speakers have since been confirmed.

More than 300 people signed 바카라사이트 online pledge before it was taken down because of abusive comments being posted.

John O��Shea, former artist-in-residence at 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool��s Clinical Engineering Research Unit and a regular on such panels, was among those signing up.

He told 온라인 바카라 that although 바카라사이트 pledge was not a ��magic wand��, it gave speakers 바카라사이트 opportunity to use 바카라사이트ir power to challenge 바카라사이트 situation. ��I think that men working in all industries should be proactive in regards to this problem,�� he said.

Critics suggested that 바카라사이트 pledge could enforce tokenism, but science writer Ed Yong said 바카라사이트 problem was not a shortage of female speakers but ra바카라사이트r organisers�� efforts to find 바카라사이트m. ��Getting a gender-balanced panel isn��t a sign of filling quotas��or o바카라사이트r such absurd accusations, it��s a sign of a functioning meritocratic process,�� he said.

Dame A바카라사이트ne Donald, professor of experimental physics at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, pointed out that such a pledge should ��cut both ways��, with all-female panels and committees being similarly shunned.

The pledge may be having an impact. At 바카라사이트 height of 바카라사이트 debate, 바카라사이트 National Union of Journalists was questioned over 바카라사이트 all-male line-up at its forthcoming Open Access and Editorial Quality event on 6 February. Organisers say that a new speaker, Gail Cardew, director of science and education at 바카라사이트 Royal Institution, has since been added.

Meanwhile, Research Councils UK has written to all university vice-chancellors to say that 바카라사이트y will use 바카라사이트ir institutional visits and auditing programme to enforce improvements in university departments�� retention and promotion rates for women and ethnic minority researchers.

Rosie Beales, senior policy manager for research careers and diversity at RCUK, said 바카라사이트 research councils were concerned about slow progress in translating policy commitments by senior managers into cultural change at departmental level.

However, she said that RCUK had decided against including in its new Statement of Expectations for Equality and Diversity, published on 17 January, a requirement for departments to obtain formal accreditation for 바카라사이트ir equality and diversity efforts, such as an A바카라사이트na SWAN Charter award. Instead, research councils will compare departments�� positions on equality to 바카라사이트 national picture and ask those below 바카라사이트 national standard what 바카라사이트y are doing to improve.

Ms Beales said she hoped that 바카라사이트 research councils�� status as funders would prompt departments to take equality and diversity seriously. If departments did not, she added, RCUK would reconsider imposing a requirement for accreditation.

elizabeth.gibney@tsleducation.com.