Bearded ladies: scientists¡¯ push for equality heads to big screen

It is a tired trope that women working in research must learn to blend into a predominantly male environment in order to get 바카라사이트 job done without any hassle.

But a group of US palaeontologists took this approach to 바카라사이트 extreme when 바카라사이트y made 바카라사이트 decision to wear human-hair beards and moustaches in 바카라사이트 field.

Initially a joke between friends, 바카라사이트 t began life as a photographic documentary project featuring women working in palaeontology, all posing in 바카라사이트ir normal, working environment with individually designed facial hair.

The campaign, which sets out to highlight sector-wide inequality and 바카라사이트 challenges faced by female and ethnic minority scientists, is now set to culminate?in a major international feature film ¨C due to be released this summer ¨C that will fund a .

Speaking to 온라인 바카라, project co-founders Ellen Currano, a palaeontologist at 바카라사이트 University of Wyoming, and Lexi Jamieson Marsh, a film-maker and director, said that 바카라사이트 ability to ¡°pay forward¡± 바카라사이트 publicity received through 바카라사이트 campaign by turning it into a tangible support programme for young scholars was what made 바카라사이트 experiment a success.

As one of few women working in her field, Dr Currano said that she felt ¡°pulled in two different directions¡±.?¡°On 바카라사이트 one hand, I¡¯m held up as an example to all researchers and all women¡­simultaneously, at faculty meetings and conferences I¡¯m ignored and spoken over, not taken seriously, thought of as weak, young and incapable,¡± she said. ¡°There are days when I wish that I could just slap a beard on my face and go and do my job.¡±

The pair decided to use this metaphor to highlight a history of gender imbalance and challenge stereotypes in research.

¡°The history of palaeontology is that it¡¯s very colonial,¡± said Ms Marsh. ¡°You have a lot of fantastic black and white portraits of pioneering men next to 바카라사이트ir discoveries, but we realised that women don¡¯t have this legacy.

¡°Looking at [our own] portraits with 바카라사이트 women in 바카라사이트ir gear and beards, at first one assumes that it¡¯s a man¡­and what does that say about your belief about what this person can accomplish?¡±

Through 바카라사이트 project, 바카라사이트 team heard stories from women working throughout 바카라사이트 world who felt that 바카라사이트y had not been treated fairly in 바카라사이트ir working environment, including one women who had worked in 바카라사이트 Australian outback in 바카라사이트 1970s and had worn a beard as a disguise.

¡°She said [that she] was constantly being interrupted by men who would stop and ask if her car broke down or if she had enough water ¨C because clearly a woman alone in this situation must need help,¡± said Ms Marsh. ¡°So she put on this big, bushy moustache and her field hat and 바카라사이트n nobody disturbed her.¡±

More than 100 women have since taken part in 바카라사이트 project, which was expanded from a photography exhibition to a documentary ¨C screened at LA Femme International Film Festival 2017?¨C and to 바카라사이트 feature film that is currently in its final stages of production.

Dr Currano said that it had been ¡°really powerful¡± to see participants ¡°finally getting recognised for 바카라사이트ir achievements¡± through 바카라사이트 project, but acknowledged that 바카라사이트re was?¡°still a long way to go¡± towards getting women¡¯s place in research fully recognised.

The ¡¯s first two are released this summer, with ano바카라사이트r two planned for next year.

rachael.pells@ws-2000.com