The impact of the COVID-19 crisis on women in science: Challenges and solutions

[De Comelli Marina]

 From Uriel Morzan

Registration link: https://www.embl.org/events/covid19-wis/


    Conference Overview:COVID-19 has not affected all scientists
    uniformly: viruses do not discriminate; societies and systems do.
    There has been a clear decline in women's preprint publications
    since this crisis began: women and single-parent scientists are
    spending disproportionately extra time on homeschooling, housework,
    or eldercare. The microscopic coronavirus has magnified systemic
    gender inequalities and conspicuous injustices. The current system
    of evaluation of scientific achievements penalizes maternity, yet
    evidence shows that diversity benefits innovative approaches and
    high research performance. Thus, securing the entry, retention,
    well-being and progression of women and minorities in the science,
    technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce must
    become a priority for governments and scientific institutions.


    This pandemic is taking away our freedoms and loved ones and there
    will be no business as usual for a while. To hold our gains in
    gender equality, we must prepare an immediate response and a
    longer-term recovery effort. We cannot afford to lose a generation
    of well-trained women scientists and see all previous efforts to
    reduce the gender gap vanish.


    During this conference, we will highlight the impact of the COVID-19
    pandemic on women scientists and explore solutions to minimize the
    gender gap in academia. We will bring together a diverse group of
    women scientists from different research areas and at various
    professional stages to provide insight into the effect of the
    COVID-19 pandemic on their work and future prospects. Prominent
    scientific leaders will explain practical steps, solutions and
    actions that they are implementing at their research institutions,
    which could serve as the basis for the "new normal" in academia.