A Physics Carreer for Women in

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A Physics Carreer for Women in Portugal Ana
Maria Eiró University 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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Some numbers
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 where
those are 48 and 29 respectively
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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
the physics researchers are women.
Physics Departments of Public Universities
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The representation of women in leading physics
research positions is similar to their
representation at at University positions 21 vs
27 The representation is quite smaller in
leading physics research plus administrative
positions 12 vs 26
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Comparing different fields of Science

• In all fields women are not well represented in
  leadership positions. This is particularly true
  in health sciences, chemistry and engineering
  fields.
• In physics this trend is less stricking.

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Three different eras General 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. RD gets important financial support from
  Portugal and Europe
• 2. political measures duplicate number of PhDs
  in 5 years.
• 3. evaluation of RD research centres starts
  according to international standards

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Starting a Physics Career Up to the 70s The
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 80s The 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 90s
The 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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How are numbers changing
Women with PhDs in Exact, Natural and
Educational Sciences
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Understanding the Situation
What kind of jobs 1. Teaching in the secondary
school 2. 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 models 1. 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
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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 (always a woman) to look after
children.
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Some Possible explanations for the relatively
high presence of women in physics in
Portugal Women do have to work, even with small
children, as it is not possible 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
Physics career and the increasing need of
mobility, makes it less attractive now to women,
who need a stable job, to be able to deal with
professional 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
• flexible working hours
• flexible working places
• the existence of support structures for children
• support from employers, namely in academics,
  being released from administrative duties and
  not overburdened 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 Observatório de Ciência e
Tecnologia, http//www.oct.mct.pt e Fundação para
a Ciência e Tecnologia, http//www.fct.mct.pt 3
Dina Canço e Isabel de Castro, Situação das
Mulheres em Portugal 2001, Comissão para a
Igualdade e para os Direitos das Mulheres. 4
L. Amâncio, L. e P. Ávila, O género na ciência.
In J. C. Jesuíno (Coord.), A comunidade
científica portuguesa nos finais do século XX
(pp. 135-162). Oeiras Celta (1995) 5
EUROSTAT, M. Dunne, "Women and Men in Tertiary
Education", Theme 3 - 18/2001 6 Física é
carreira para mulheres? C. Providência, S.
Andringa, C. Quintans, A. M. Eiró, Gazeta de
Física, vol25/4 (2002) 20
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Comments on the slides Slide 1 Although I cannot
be present, I would like to share with you some
aspects of a Physics career for women in
Portugal Slide 2 The presentation starts with
some numbers, followed by the characterization of
3 different eras in time then it is shown how
the numbers are changing, and finally I will give
my understanding of the situation Slide
3 Besides the of women in research in Portugal,
the plot compares that in different countries
in Europe, showing Portugal as having the highest
numbers Slide 4 The table gives the numbers of
women and in the staff of all the Universities
that have physics 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 and women as project leaders
(top), and as scientifically responsable for a
group (bottom). The last one means both
scientific and administrative responsability.
Slide 6 Joining 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
7 Three 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), compared with 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 10 The 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 nº 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 13 Some of these
are bad reasons so to speak. The enlarged
family support is a crucial help, that tends to
disapear. Slide 14 The 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 atitude 20
years ago Slide 15