The persistence of androcentrism in science, that is to say a male-centred scientific point of view and culture, proved in UNIBO by the Gender Equality Annual Report and in Europe by SheFigures.
Enhancing visibility of female role models: Sharing career good practices - role models for women(scientists, researchers and academics)
Problem (evidence)
Aims/objectives
To contribute at the process of elimination of those stereotypes underpinning androcentrism (Harding, 1986) in science.
Resources
Researchers with expertise in Gender, Science and Technologies Studies.
Brief outcomes
The opportunity for a broad community acknowledges the connection between gender and science, since the Alma Orienta Days in UNIBO are participated by a huge number of students. The UNIBO PLOTINA TEAM reached at least 3000 students per day every year. As for the conference organized by Collegio Superiore there were more than 50 participants, not only students, but also Technical and Administrative Staff and Professors.
Key area
Recruitment, career progression and retention
Type of action
Organization
Alma Mater Studiorum – Università Di Bologna
Higher education institution
Action level of implementation
Researchers/professors and technical and administrative staff, students
Implementation
The first step is to identify an official academic event where is possible to disseminate gender equality issues and obtain the permit to have a dedicated stand. In UNIBO the PLOTINA Team participated at the Alma Orienta Day with its own stand, on the 20th and 21th of February 2018 and o the 26th and 27th of February 2019, exposing posters and roll-ups and distributing flyers on good practices and role models for women scientists. Moreover, PLOTINA UNIBO members informed interested students on both unconscious biases and overt discriminations affecting women academic careers by showing them the Gender Annual Report results and SheFigures fact and figures’.
Furthermore, on the of 4th of April 2019 Prof. Angela Balzano, as a member of the UNIBO PLOTINA Team, has been invited as speaker by the UNIBO Collegio Superiore in a conference titled “Beyond the glass ceiling: gender in STEM and research”, where she introduced students to the work of brilliant women scientists and researchers and to the PLOTINA Project.
Challenges
Obtaining a dedicated stand to gender equality in a huge event such the Alma Orienta Day is not always easy, it can require time and several bureaucratic steps.
Coping strategies
Ask several months before the event the permit to participate and organize in time all the dissemination materials.
More detailed Outcomes/Impact
Contrasting stereotypes underpinning androcentrism in science.
Cultural change towards female scientists.
Reflection: what we would do differently
PLOTINA and the Gender Equality Delegate Rector’s could try to make this action structural and embedded in the Alma Orienta Day for its future editions.
Unintended consequences
A high number of students did not know before the Alma Orienta Days that UNIBO has official policies on gender equality and a master programme on gender studies. It was an unexpected positive impact that they showed interest towards the UNIBO PLOTINA stand.