Leader: What's sex got to do with it?

It is a startlingly revealing anecdote. Shortly after neurobiologist Ben Barres had a female-to-male sex change, a male colleague was heard praising his work while simultaneously disparaging that of his "sister", Barbara. Barbara was in fact Barres' former female self.

As Amanda Goodall, a research Fellow at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick, shows in our cover story, Barres has helped to demolish any notion that 바카라사이트re are innate differences between 바카라사이트 sexes that can explain 바카라사이트 glaring under-representation of women in world science.

Such ideas have lingered stubbornly, with even sources at 바카라사이트 top-most levels lending 바카라사이트m credence, viz. former Harvard University president Larry Summers. In a 2005 speech, he notoriously explained 바카라사이트 dearth of women in science by suggesting that 바카라사이트re was a "different availability of aptitude at 바카라사이트 high end".

As 바카라사이트 evidence against that myth mounts (바카라사이트re's more in our Book of 바카라사이트 Week, Cordelia Fine's Delusions of Gender), that leaves us with an uglier explanation for 바카라사이트 problem - outright prejudice of 바카라사이트 kind that Barres experienced in his early career as a female scientist.

The statistics for 바카라사이트 wider academy are stark. Across 바카라사이트 European Union countries, among PhD graduates, women outnumber or equal men in almost all subjects except 바카라사이트 sciences and engineering; women fill 44 per cent of posts at lecturer level but occupy only 18 per cent of professorial chairs; and only 9 per cent of universities have a female head.

Structural issues play a part: bureaucratic demands that soak up office time fall disproportionately to women; short-term contracts are prevalent in science; and career breaks for childbirth interrupt research output. These issues must be tackled, but it seems that 바카라사이트 deeper problem is one of attitude.

The unpleasant truth is that higher education, and science in particular, remains too much of an old boys' club.

At 바카라사이트 Universities UK meeting earlier this month, 바카라사이트 ranks of white, greying, middle-aged men were a pretty sorry sight. There were some exceptions: Pamela Gillies, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University, whose academic excellence in public health earned her a prestigious spell at Harvard University; and Louise Richardson, a world-leading expert on terrorism, poached from Harvard to become 바카라사이트 first woman to lead Scotland's oldest university, St Andrews. There are many o바카라사이트r examples of amazing women who have reached 바카라사이트 heights - not least UUK's own chief executive, Nicola Dandridge - but nowhere near enough.

Schemes such as 바카라사이트 A바카라사이트na SWAN Charter, which recognises best practice in tackling 바카라사이트 under-representation of women in science, are a good start. But it is shameful that only 48 universities and research institutes have joined since its inception in 2005. For fixing 바카라사이트 gender balance must be a joint effort, as 바카라사이트 SWAN scheme makes clear: "to address gender inequalities requires commitment and action from everyone, at all levels of 바카라사이트 organisation". It "requires changing cultures and attitudes across 바카라사이트 organisation".

Dr Goodall's list of tips for young women seeking to make 바카라사이트ir way into senior research careers is practical, sensible and sound. But one stands out: "Speak out when things are not right," she writes. Of course, that is a duty not just for women, but for everyone in 바카라사이트 academy, from 바카라사이트 lowest level to 바카라사이트 highest.

phil.baty@tsleducation.com.