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European Commission (1999) Women and Science: Report of a
conference held in April 1998 Brussels: Commission of the European
Communities
This was a larger meeting with more than 200 participants from the
Member States, the Commission and the European Parliament, organised by
Nicole Dewandre. The format of this meeting was different from the 1993
meeting and therefore it did not result in formal recommendations. One
contribution to the conference examined what progress had been made
with regard to the recommendations of the 1993 conference:  ‘Facts and
Figures still show little room at the top for women in science in most EU
countries’ (Osborn, 1999). Other specific recommendations, drawn from
contributions to the conference, included:
i) Education
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better careers advice in schools;
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encourage work experience in labs for students;
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teacher training to include training in EO;
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and careers advisers.
ii) Employment
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employers should establish good childcare, have active EO policies and
family-friendly policies;
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mentoring programmes;
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returner schemes;
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chronological age should be replaced by academic age;
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flexible fellowships;
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statistical monitoring;
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data bases;
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address issue of time in balancing families with scientific careers.
2 MEMBER STATE LEVEL
2.1 United Kingdom
Committee on Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (1994)
The Rising Tide: A Report on Women in Science, Engineering and
Technology London: HMSO (UK)
The UK Government took note of the women and science question in a
review of science policy, the first for 20 years, entitled Realising our Potential:
A Strategy for Science, Engineering and Technology (Chancellor of the Duchy of
Lancaster 1993).  During the consultation process, many women voiced the
difficulties they encountered, including lack of childcare facilities or scope
for flexible-working, and limited job opportunities.  The report noted:
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Science policies in the European Union
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‘the widespread waste of talent and training, throughout industry and
academia, due to the absence of women’,
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that ‘women are the country’s biggest single most under-valued and
therefore under-used human resource’,
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that ‘there is massive scope to attract more women into science and
engineering’, and
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that the Government had set up an independent working party to
address this important issue.
The follow-up report was entitled The  Rising Tide, A  Report  on Women  in
Science, Engineering and Technology (Committee on Women in Science,
Engineering and Technology 1994). It documented the loss of girls and
women to science at every stage - from choosing science at school, to first
degree, then higher degree, and then in the job market, particularly when
family responsibilities arose. Few women survive in their chosen profession
to reach positions of seniority and influence, even in biology, where women
comprise nearly 60% of students; and many continue in work that under-
uses their training and talents.
Summary
1 Women are under-used in science, engineering and technology (SET).
Given the demographic situation (fewer young people, more women in
the labour market), the costs of training scientists and engineers and the
advantages of diversity, it is vital to attract more women into SET and to
retain them. There are three areas of concern: education and training,
employment and women at the top.
2 Education and training: the number of applicants of both sexes for science
and engineering in higher education is lower than for humanities and
arts: how can we encourage more women into SET at school, college
and university?
3 Employment: how can careers in SET be made more accessible to women,
especially during the child-bearing years?
4 Women at the top: how can it be ensured that more women are
represented on and chair boards and bodies responsible for developing
and managing SET?
Recommendations
i) Education
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a Development Unit should be established to take forward
recommendations;
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teacher training should include EO on the curriculum including
guidance on maintaining the interest of girls and boys in science subjects;
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the school curriculum should be broad enough to encourage more
young people, particularly girls, to study science beyond 16.
ii) Employment
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EO policies should be part of an organisation’s strategy and be reported
on in annual reports;
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organisations should build upon initiatives like Investors in People and
Opportunity 2000 to address the specific needs of women in SET;
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•
pilot studies should identify and disseminate information on economic
and other benefits of women-friendly management practices in SET;
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the Government should provide more child-care services and help with
costs and facilitate support for Returner schemes for women in SET;
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funding for research staff should be more flexible to accommodate family
commitments; and
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regional careers development advisory services for SET should be set up.
iii) Women at the Top
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the Office of Science and Technology (OST), employers and professional
associations should maintain databases and networks of qualified women
scientists and engineers for selection for boards, committees and public
appointments;
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Government Departments and employers should set targets of at least
25% women in public appointments and senior positions in SET by
2000;
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the OST should further develop its strategy for promoting awareness and
encouraging media coverage of women’s contribution to SET.
The Government’s response, Making the Most: Women in Science, Engineering
and Technology (DTI, OST & Opportunity 2000 1994) accepted these
recommendations, except the call for income tax relief for costs of childcare
(there is tax relief for employers funding childcare). A women’s unit was set
up within the OST, which is now called Promoting SET for Women.
The Rising Tide target of at least 25% women in public appointments and
senior positions in SET by 2000 will not be met.  There are many reasons
for this.  Science is competitive, there is a long-hours culture, and women
develop family responsibilities at the time when a male scientist is
consolidating his career base.  Frequently a man’s career takes precedence
over his partner’s because he is likely to earn more money, and as a result, he
does earn more... a circular process.  Fixed-term (or short-term) contracts,
so prevalent in scientific research, impact severely on women, particularly
those with family responsibilities.  Women who work part-time or take a
career break for family reasons face competition when they try to return,
from a rising generation which is freshly trained, and cheaper.
2.2 Denmark
Ministry of Research and Information Technology (1998) Women and
Excellence in Research Copenhagen: Statens Information
At the time this plan was developed, Jytte Hilden was Minister of Research
and Information Technology in Denmark. Hilden’s 11-point action plan was
developed after a series of conferences held in Danish universities:
1 Equal opportunities (EO) – a management responsibility (the obligation
to promote EO in research should be made statutory).
2 More female professors (40 professorships should be reserved for the
‘under-represented sex’);
3 Awareness in job advertising.
4 Gender-neutral selection committees.
5 Tutoring and mentoring.
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