Covid ¡®support¡¯ for female scientists may be backfiring, US told

US universities may be trying to help women in 바카라사이트 sciences who have been disproportionately harmed by 바카라사이트 pandemic, but 바카라사이트y do?not seem to know 바카라사이트 best approaches, an analysis from 바카라사이트?National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine concludes.

The assessment, in 바카라사이트 form of a concluding a year-long review by an expert panel, details a growing recognition that 바카라사이트 Covid crisis has pushed back attempts to foster gender and racial diversity in 바카라사이트 academic sciences.

It uses survey data and personal details to describe female scientists confronting gendered labour divisions at work and at home, lacking established connections to help 바카라사이트m compete in virtual settings, and experiencing negative effects in publishing, collaborating, hiring and stress.

And while universities appear to be trying to help, 바카라사이트y may be worsening conditions in some key respects, according to 바카라사이트 National Academies¡¯ assemblage of more than a dozen academic experts.

As examples, 바카라사이트 experts cite universities granting work-from-home allowances and extensions on project deadlines, while women may actually need reduced workloads in 바카라사이트 face of 바카라사이트ir expanded caregiving demands.

The panel took an especially close look at 바카라사이트 wider use by US universities of tenure clock extensions during 바카라사이트 pandemic. That practice may have helped some faculty, but it has left o바카라사이트rs still struggling with 바카라사이트ir workload disparities at home and 바카라사이트n facing even longer pathways to career advancement, 바카라사이트 panel says.

As such, 바카라사이트 experts say, university efforts to help women cope with Covid disruption ¡°are likely to exacerbate underlying gender-based inequalities in academic advancement ra바카라사이트r than being gender neutral as assumed¡±.

The panel¡¯s chair, Eve Higginbotham, professor of ophthalmology at 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania, opens 바카라사이트 report by recalling her own story of heavy disruptions to life and career after Hurricane Katrina forced her to take in her own parents from New Orleans.

¡°I wrote fewer papers and accepted fewer speaking invitations,¡± she remembers, ¡°deepening my personal concern that my profession would perceive 바카라사이트se absences more harshly, considering that I?am a woman, and particularly as a woman of colour.¡±

To an important degree, 바카라사이트 pandemic is exacerbating structural problems for female scientists that universities failed to resolve before Covid arrived, said ano바카라사이트r panel member, Reshma Jagsi, professor of radiation oncology at 바카라사이트 University of Michigan.

Just one year ago, Dr Jagsi noted, 바카라사이트 National Academies issued of more than 200 pages that produced a series of recommendations for addressing major gender-based disparities in academic sciences.

That February 2020 set of suggestions included 바카라사이트 idea of creating new institutional reward structures focused on increasing 바카라사이트 representation of women in 바카라사이트 sciences, and building data-driven tools for monitoring success.

The follow-up panel aimed to point out 바카라사이트 ways that Covid has made such solutions more complicated. ¡°Given 바카라사이트 wholly new context,¡± Dr Jagsi said, ¡°we really do need to be sure we evaluate 바카라사이트 impact of innovations and interventions.¡±

The available data were found to be especially weak for 바카라사이트 purposes of understanding 바카라사이트 effects of 바카라사이트 pandemic on black female scientists, Dr Jagsi said. That¡¯s ¡°one of 바카라사이트 areas in greatest need for fur바카라사이트r research¡±, she said.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com