Sexist remarks, being made to feel invisible, encountering a glass ceiling in one’s career advancement… the scientific sphere is not immune to gender discrimination. Quite the contrary, in fact.
While an increasing number of studies are starting to show just how extensive the lack of equal representation is in many fields, one area still largely remains in the shadows: sexist discrimination and sexual violence in the scientific milieu.
To investigate this issue, an international study conducted by Ipsos and funded by the L’Oréal Foundation interviewed more than 5,184 scientists in 117 countries, on five continents. The study was carried out exclusively through interviews conducted on the internet.
And the findings are stark: 81% of women scientists said they had experienced at least one situation of sexism in the course of their work, while 49% of the women scientists surveyed confided that they had been personally confronted with at least one situation of sexual harassment during their career.
The incidences of sexual harassment tallied in this study are recent: for 47% of the victims, the examples took place in the last five years – that is, after the emergence of the #MeToo movement, the study points out. For 24% of the victims, the incidents happened in the last two years.
‘Not enough is said’
Asked about various factors affecting their professional success, 80% of the women cited perseverance as one of the most important factors, well ahead of criteria such as academic excellence (51%), or participation in research projects or publications (46%).
The three most frequently cited obstacles for researchers interviewed for the study were, in order: work-life balance (72%); the impact of motherhood on their career (64%); and the low number of women in management positions (59%).
Sexist remarks and psychological harassment are less often mentioned by women (32% and 24%, respectively) in the list of obstacles faced by female scientists. But the problem remains no less real, as seven out of 10 scientists surveyed believe “not enough is said” about sexism and sexual harassment in the scientific research community.
Meanwhile, 64% of the scientists said the “actions taken to prevent or combat sexual harassment at work” were not enough.
The survey also shows that these cases of sexual harassment are more common among young female researchers: 64% of the women who were victims of harassment experienced such an incident at least once at the beginning of their career.
These situations can have serious consequences: 50% of the women who were victims of harassment said they felt uncomfortable at work, or even vulnerable (30%). And for 21% of them, this has even resulted in a loss of self-esteem and confidence in their abilities.
Fear of reprisal
“This persistence of everyday sexism, which is worrying because it can lead to more violent expressions, can be explained by the reign of an omerta in this environment,” the study notes, referring to a code of silence about criminal activity and a refusal to give evidence to the authorities.
Only 19% of those confronted with a situation of sexual harassment told their institution about it, the study notes.
Indeed, nearly nine out of 10 researchers – of all genders – have witnessed sexism at least once in their career. However, only half of them reported what they witnessed (56%), often staying silent for fear of reprisals (39%).
“The results of this international study confirm the inequalities that persist and the urgent need to mobilise on a large-scale,” stresses the L’Oréal Foundation, which had previously commissioned a survey conducted in 2019 with Unesco that showed that in the sphere of research, women represent only 33% of scientists.