UK Women in SET Policy and Progress 2014

Tides, storm surges and sea levels

Jan Peters PhD

www.Katalytik.co.uk

©2014 Katalytik Ltd

1993

• A small step for science policy but a giant step for women in science

“Women are the single most undervalued and underused resource”

(1993 Realising our potential)

The catalyst for The Rising Tide report

Driven by a small but powerful voice: Dr Nancy J Lane

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UK Milestones

1993

Realising Our Potential

-White Paper

1994

Rising Tide

published

1994

Development Unit

for

Women in SET

1999

ATHENA launch

2000

Statistics

Website

2002

Max returns

launch

2003

SET Fair

report

2004

UK Resource Centre

for women in SET

2007

ATHENA legacy

2005

RETURN

Campaign

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 3

1998

UK Presidency

of EU

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CLIMATE CHANGEPost 2007

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Belief

• Evidence to define the problem and specify action.

or

• Building the case to take it beyond being a “women’s problem”

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THE TIDESThe regular ebb and flow of the oceans

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Good practice guides and initiatives

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Career management

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Leadership and decision making

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Statistics

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Global attention

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UK STORM SURGE?

The UKRC

• To increase the participation and position of women in

science, engineering and technology employment across

industry, academia and public services in the UK

Other initiatives

• Linking research funding to SWAN Silver

• Gender in research: FP6, FP7 and Horizons 2020

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CLIMATE CHANGE

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Action

Driven by volunteers, delivered by volunteers, supported by policy makers

Driven by policy makers, delivered by educators and employers, supported by volunteers

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UNCONSCIOUS BIAS EXISTS IN BOTH SEXES, ABOUT THE INFERIORITY OF THE (INTELLECTUAL) ABILITIES OF FEMALES

Virginia Valian, author, “Why so slow ?” 1998

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COGNITIVE BIAS: UNCONSCIOUS ERRORS OF REASONING THAT DISTORT OUR JUDGMENT OF THE WORLD

Daniel Kahneman, New York Times

2011

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The immediate challenges

• Beyond equality and diversity – Building an inclusive workforce - starting with

apprenticeship courses and undergraduates

• Making strong, heart felt connections between girls, science and its impact for society

• Cracking 15% professors in the life sciences

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WHY SO SLOW?