a physics carrier for women in portugal
TRANSCRIPT
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A Physics Carreer for Women in
Portugal
Ana Maria EirUniversity of Lisbon
Bad- Honnef, 28 March 2003
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Some numbers
Three different eras
How are numbers changing
Understanding the situation
Final considerations
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A recent study (1) shows that among European countries, Portugal has the highest
percentage of women researchers in state laboratories, 58% in natural sciences
and 38% in engineering and technologies, and also in higher education wherethose % are 48% and 29% respectively
Some numbers
Researchers in higher education in Europe (1990)[Source: European Comission, Eurostat]
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Portu
gal
Irelan
d UK Italy
Finla
nd
Swed
en
Fran
ce
Denm
ark
Austr
ia
Germ
any
Belgi
um
heNed
erla
nds
%o
fFemale
Natural Sciences
Engineering & Technology
NaturalSciences
Engineering and
Technology
State Laboratories 58% 38%
Universities 48% 29%
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In the public universities
there are about 27% of
women in each different
category.
Contrary to other fields
in physics women have
similar representations
at all levels. 25% of thephysics researchers are
women.
Physics Departments of Public Universities
University Full Professor Associated Prof. Assistant Prof. All Cathegorieswomen total % omen total % women total women total %
U. Algarve 1 1 100 1 4 25 3 11 27 6 21 29U. Aveiro 4 7 57 3 12 25 3 22 14 13 54 24
UBI 0 0 0 5 0 1 7 14 6 34 18U Coimbra 4 9 44 2 10 20 12 34 35 24 71 34U vora 0 3 0 1 8 13 2 8 25 6 30 20U Lisboa 2 10 2 6 12 50 12 40 30 21 62 34U Minho 1 5 20 4 7 33 4 21 19 17 56 30UNL 1 3 33 2 6 33 3 12 25 10 34 29U Porto 1 8 13 3 8 38 7 19 37 11 35 31UTAD 0 0 1 3 33 0 3 0 4 24 17UTL 0 9 0 3 11 27 14 46 30 17 66 26Total 14 55 26 26 86 30 61 223 27 135 487 28
R&D Researchers
0,0
100,0
200,0
300,0
400,0
500,0
600,0
700,0
800,0
900,0
MathematicsPhysics
ChemistryBiology
Space&EarthSc
OceanSc.
AgriculturalScHealthScCivilEng.
MechanicalEng
MaterialSc&Eng
Chem&BiotechEng
Comp&ElectrotechEng
EducationalSc
Nu
mber Men
Women
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The representation of
women in leading
physics research
positions is similar totheir representation at
at University positions
21% vs 27%
The representation is
quite smaller in leading
physics research plus
administrative positions12% vs 26%
Coordinators of R&D Research Centres 2000
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Mathem
atics
Physics
Chemis
tryBiol
ogy
Space&
EarthS
c
Agricul
turalSc
HealthS
c.
CivilEn
g.
Mechan
icalEng
.
Materia
lSc&En
g
Chem&
Biotech
Eng
Comp&E
letrotech
Eng
Educati
onalSc
number
Men
Women
Coordinators of R&D Research Projects
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Mathem
atics Physics
Chemist
ryBiolo
gy
Space&
EarthSc
.
Agricultu
ralSc
HealthS
c.Civi
lEng.
Mechan
icalEng
.
MaterialS
c&Eng
Chem&B
iotech.E
ng
Comp&E
letrotech
.Eng
Educatio
nalSc
numbers Men
Women
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Research in different fields
0,0
10,0
20,0
30,0
40,0
50,0
60,0
70,0
Mathem
atics
Physics
Chemis
tryBiol
ogy
Space&
EarthS
c
Agricul
turalSc
HealthS
cCivi
lEng.
Mechan
icalEn
g
Materia
lSc&En
g
Chem&
Biotech
Eng
Comp&E
lectrote
chEng
Educati
onalSc
%female..
Researchers
Coord. Projects
Coord. Centres
1. In all fields women are not well represented in leadership positions. This is particularly
true in health sciences, chemistry and engineering fields.
2. In physics this trend is less stricking.
Comparing different fields of Science
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Three different erasGeneral situation
A- Until early 70s:
1. social class and not gender selects the access to the university.2. gender influences the field chosen:
girls choose arts and sciences courses
secondary school teacher positions
other less well paid professions.
boys choose technological courses, law and medicine
well paid liberal jobs.
B- From mid 70s till early 90s:1. large growth, qualitative and quantitative, of the Portuguese scientific community
2. political measures give equal opportunities for men and women.
3. better life conditions, economic independence and social ascension are the spring for the
fast increase of working women in all fields.
4. advanced studies are a recognized need but research is not yet a priority.
C- The last ten years:1. R&D gets important financial support from Portugal and Europe
2. political measures duplicate number of PhDs in 5 years.3. evaluation of R&D research centres starts according to international standards
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Starting a Physics Career:
Up to the 70sThe best physics students get very easily a job at the University.
After 1-2 years they easily get a grant to prepare PhD abroad.Almost no PhDs in Portugal.After the PhD permanent job at the University
In the 80sThe best physics students get very easily a job at the University.
After 4-6 years they can prepare PhD in Portugal or abroad.
After the PhD permanent job at the University
In the 90sThe best students get easily a grant to prepare PhD.
After PhD the future is uncertain:
1. post-doc grants
2. teaching at private universities with no research structures
3. teaching at politechnics, with no physics department and no research structures
4. older universities, where research groups are organized, dont offer positions
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1970-1994 Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry
Biology
Earth & Space Sciences
Agricultural & Veterinary
SciencesHealth Sciences
Mechanical Engeneering
Material Sciences and
EngeneeringCivil and Mining Engeneering
Biochemistry
Chemical Engeneering
Electrotechnics and Informatics
Educational Sciences
1995-2000
In the last years there was a fast
increase of the PhDs in Portugal. For
women this was even more striking: in
the period 1995-2000 the number ofwomen with PhD in all areas duplicated
as compared to the previous 25 years
(the exact, natural and educational
sciences represent around 70% of all
the PhDs for women and men).
In Physics the situation is very different.For men, the number of PhDs shows a
much faster increase than for women.
TOTAL = 1111Physics = 113
TOTAL = 1154
Physics = 32
Women with PhDs in Exact, Natural and
Educational Sciences
How are numbers changing
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PhD in Physics
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
year
Men
Women
Total n of Physics PhDs
0
500
1970 1980 1990 2000
year
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What kind of jobs
1.Teaching in the secondary school2. University career with teaching and possibly research
3. In industry, where almost no research done, engineers are prefered
4. Still very small offer in hospitals
The performance of Women. Role models1. Women have slightly better perfomance during studies than men
In 1996/97, 60.1% of women started a University course in Sciences;4 years latter from those who finished the course, 67.9% are women
2. It is natural for young people to learn physics from female teachers
In 1994/95, among all physics/ chemistry teachers at secundary school 77%are women
Understanding the Situation
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3. It is natural for girls to follow their fathers steps
Because of girls being more mature when they go to University, fathers tend to
encourage them to choose their own career.
Social and economical conditions
1.With age between 20 and 44, the percentage of working women in general is:
83% if without children;72% if with children 0-5 years old.
2. Existing organized structures to look after children
3. Enlarged family collaborates in the bringing up of children (particularly true one
generation ago when older women did not have professional careers)
4. Until the 80s it was relatively inexpensive to pay for a full time person (alwaysa woman) to look after children.
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Some Possible explanations for the relatively highpresence of women in physics in Portugal
Women do have to work, even with small children, as it is notpossible for a couple to live in one salary
Science, physics in particular, is therefore an option
It is socially well accepted that mothers go to work
A girl does not have to choose between family and career;although difficult, it has been possible to do both
Flexibility in the habits and in the system, together with low
competitiveness, has been used for a good cause
Longer periods for a degree; publications at a smaller rate
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Only very recently there was an investment in science in the
country, at a time where it was generally accepted equal
opportunities for men and women
Girls took the opportunity that was offered
BUT
The present unstability beyind a Physicscareer and the increasing need of mobility,makes it less attractive now to women, whoneed a stable job, to be able to deal withprofessional commitment and family life.
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Final Considerations
The compatibility of a professional career with a
family is an unsolved problem in our society,eventually with no perfect solution.
This problem can be partially solved with :
1. flexible working hours
2. flexible working places
3. the existence of support structures for children
4. support from employers, namely in academics,being released from administrative duties and notoverburdened with teaching.
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[1] EUROSTAT, I. Laafia e A. Larsson, "Women in Public Research and Higher
Education in Europe", Theme 9 - 7/2001
[2] Observatrio de Cincia e Tecnologia, http://www.oct.mct.pt e Fundaopara a Cincia e Tecnologia, http://www.fct.mct.pt
[3] Dina Cano e Isabel de Castro, Situao das Mulheres em Portugal 2001,Comisso para a Igualdade e para os Direitos das Mulheres.
[4] L. Amncio, L. e P. vila, O gnero na cincia. In J. C. Jesuno (Coord.), Acomunidade cientfica portuguesa nos finais do sculo XX (pp. 135-162).Oeiras: Celta (1995)
[5] EUROSTAT, M. Dunne, "Women and Men in Tertiary Education", Theme 3 -
18/2001
[6]Fsica carreira para mulheres? C. Providncia, S. Andringa, C. Quintans,A. M. Eir, Gazeta de Fsica, vol25/4 (2002) 20
http://www.fct.mct.pt/http://www.fct.mct.pt/ -
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Comments on the slides
Slide 1
Although I cannot be present, I would like toshare with you some aspects of a Physics career
for women in Portugal
Slide 2The presentation starts with some numbers, followed by the characterization of 3 different erasin time; then it is shown how the numbers are changing, and finally I will give my understanding
of the situation
Slide 3Besides the % of women in research in Portugal, the plot compares that % in different countries
in Europe, showing Portugal as having the highest numbers
Slide 4The table gives the numbers of women and % in the staff of all the Universities that havephysics Departments in the country. All categories sums up also tutors (that in Portugal may be
part of the staff) when they exists.
The plot shows the numbers of researchers (men and women) in different fields. Interesting the
numbers of health sciences, biotech and electrotech engeneering
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Comments on the slides
Slide 5
In the same areas as before, the plots show a comparison between the numbers of men andwomen as project leaders (top), and as scientifically responsable for a group (bottom). The last
one means both scientific and administrative responsability.
Slide 6Joining the 3 previous plots together, only with the % of women, show clearly that in spite of the
representativeness, the is a clear decrease in the representation for leaders
Slide 7Three eras are characterized. This slide and the next one are self explanatory
Slide 8
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Comments on the slides
Slide 9
Impressive comparison between the numbers of recent 5 years (1995-2000), comparedwith the 25 previous years (1970-1994). Yet physics does not grow as other sciences do.
There is an increase in the preference of women for biogical sciences and related fields,
e.g.biochemistry, biotechnology
Slide 10The rate at which women finish PhD in physics at present is not increasing and does not
reflect the recent money investments in sciences. This is contrary to the situation with
men, who show a clear increase of the n of PhDs per year.
Slide 11
This slide and the next two are self explanatory
Slide 12
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Comments on the slides
Slide 13Some of these are bad reasons so to speak. The enlarged family support is a crucial help,that tends to disapear.
Slide 14The system has become more internationalized and much more competitive, so it will be
harder on women. Many girls now choose not to have children, or to have them later. The
general mood is very much career first and family after. That was definitely not the atitude20 years ago
Slide 15