By Tara Miller
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.
Live the life you've imagined.”
-H. D. Thoreau
An article written by
Richard Primack and Virginia O’Leary in 1993 surveyed ecologists to elucidate
why female ecologists experience lower productivity and promotion than male
ecologists. Unsurprisingly to most people today, they found that women
in science face many disadvantages, including lower salaries, primary family
care responsibilities, lack of role models, lack of job security, lack of
mobility, and more. Taken together, these disadvantages can add up to large
gaps between the scientific achievements of women and men.
I
was particularly struck by the sections of the article discussing women’s lack
of mobility in pursuing jobs. Many women reported being unable to move for a
career opportunity due to a significant other or needing to relocate to
accommodate a significant other’s career goals. One woman surveyed for the
study reported, "It took me too long to get my degree as a result of
following my husband around. When I finally got my degree there were no jobs
where he was."
Adapted from Table 3 (Primack & O’Leary, 1993)
Women
also reported having a relationship end or suffer because of a move for a job
opportunity. Another woman quoted in the study said, "I left my
significant other to complete graduate school. I now have no relationship and
no job."
Adapted from Table 3 (Primack & O’Leary, 1993)
This article was
published the year I was born, and yet I find that our societal expectations
for women and men are slow to change. Even among friends of my own generation,
more (heterosexual) women than men have moved to locations optimal for their
partners’ careers.
These observations also
highlight how important individual actions can be. One man’s actions can impact
a woman’s career. Men can choose to support the women in their lives and to
equally share the responsibilities and sacrifices.
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