“Why are there so few women in science?” has almost become a tiresome refrain over the years, given how little the answers engage with the thousands of female scientists working all over the world. “Too often,” writes the project 500 Women Scientists, “high-profile articles, conference panels, and boards are filled with a disproportionate number of male voices. News stories are reported by more men by a huge margin, and this imbalance is reflected in how frequently women are quoted in news stories unless journalists make a conscious effort to reach out.
“Most keynote speakers at conferences are men. Panels are so frequently all-male that a new word evolved to describe the phenomenon: manels. These imbalances add up and reinforce the inaccurate perception that
science is stale, pale and male.” The next time the question arises—“why are there so few women in science?”—or any other question needing scientific expertise, one need only gesture silently to
500 Women Scientists, a grassroots organization consisting of far more scientists than its title suggests.
Described as “a resource for journalists, educators, policy makers, scientists and anyone needing scientific expertise,” the project began in 2016 as an open letter penned by its founders, then graduate students at Colorado University, Boulder, who decided to re-affirm their values against reactionary attacks by amassing 500 signatures on an open letter. They’ve since built a searchable database of over 9,000 women researchers from around the world, and a resource that helps build local scientific communities.
Since launching last year, their Request a Scientist database has shown “the excuse that you can’t find a qualified woman just doesn't hold,” says co-founder and microbial ecologist Dr. Kelly Ramirez-Donders. It has also provided much more detailed data on women in science, which was published in a paper at PLOS Biology in April. “The group has ambitious plans to keep expanding its reach,” writes STAT. “They’re raising money to start a fellowship for women of color… and they have already launched an affiliate group, 500 Women in Medicine.”
Women Scientists Launch a Database Featuring the Work of 9,000 Women Working in the Sciences
| | Women Scientists Launch a Database Featuring the Work of 9,000 Women Wor...“Why are there so few women in science?” has almost become a tiresome refrain over the years, given how little t... |
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Women and Appalachia Coal Mine Wars
"This week’s guest on The Historians Podcast is Kimberly Collins, who focuses on women involved in the 1912 Appalachian Coal Mine Wars in her native West Virginia in her historical novel Blood Creek.
You can listen to the podcast here.
You can find more podcasts and stories at bobcudmore.com.
“The Historians” podcast is heard on RISE, WMHT’s radio information service for the blind and print disabled in New York’s Capital Region and Hudson Valley. The podcast is broadcast Saturdays at 12:05 pm on WCSS 1490 AM and 106.9 FM in Amsterdam and Sundays at 4:30 pm on WBDY-FM-LP (99.5) in Binghamton."
| | Women and Appalachia Coal Mine Wars - The New York History BlogThis week’s guest on The Historians Podcast is Kimberly Collins, who focuses on women involved in the 1912 Appal... |
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"This week’s guest on The Historians Podcast is Kimberly Collins, who focuses on women involved in the 1912 Appalachian Coal Mine Wars in her native West Virginia in her historical novel Blood Creek.
