Salamin

I've already written about what it feels like to be a mom. I've also shared some of my thoughts and experiences as a scientist. But I have not written much about what it feels like to be all at the same time - woman, mom, scientist. And for good reason: it's a lonely road. Not everyone can relate to my experience. In my circle of friends, I could always find someone who is a mom, or a scientist, but to find both at the same time - it's like finding a needle in a haystack.

I've taken to reading several books and literature on women and their participation in science. And the statistics are disheartening. Experts describe the situation as a leaky pipeline: women "leak" out of the pipeline at every stage, beginning from students up to higher positions. Women describe their situation as akin to hitting a glass ceiling - a proverbial ceiling that prevents their ascension to the top. Thus, even if there would be a high percentage of women entering the scientific field at the very early stages of their career, only very few persistent ones manage to wiggle their way to higher positions. Understandably this is a reason for concern: how long would it be until I hit my own glass ceiling?

I now ask you to close your eyes and picture in your mind a scientist working in the lab. What is the image that first comes to your mind?

An article from Nature. Being a woman is not the only issue here; how does being a foreigner affect my growth as a scientist in this country?

 

Japan and its women

 

Cultural obstacles and potential damage to one's career present major challenges to women wanting to pursue science in Japan. Some changes have occurred, but too few, and too slowly.