Question: Do you feel that being a woman working in the field of science can hinder your work? (as in; do you feel sexism is prominent in the workplace?)

Rose Simnett answered on 15 Jun 2015:

Hi AmeliaChelsea,
This is something I feel very strongly about! Sadly yes, I do feel that sexism is still an issue faced by many women, not just in science, in the workplace. It doesn’t help when you see things in the news, like the recent comments made by Prof. Tim Hunt at a science conference! However, attitudes definitely are improving and there are many opportunities that are specifically aimed at women and other minority groups such as, research grants and bursaries.
In chemistry, I find that the PhD students are quite evenly mixed between men and women, though for academics (Professors and Lecturers) there are definitely more men that women. I read recently that the university is setting targets to get more women in higher paid positions and to try and decrease the gender divide.
I also read that the age group of under 24 years old is the first age group where on average women are being paid more than men. Hopefully, things will continue to improve quickly and you can be in the first generation to achieve equality!