EQUALITY GUIdE - KU Leuven

Chapter 4 ! Scientific communication 193
2. Category: generation problem
According to the participants, age has an influence as well. Those who mainly work
in groups with young researchers experience gender as less problematic. Many
young men in groups of Senior Academic Staff “admire women, experience
gender as less problematic” (faculty of communication sciences) “and have no
problem with part-time work”. However, in other faculties and research groups
there really is a generation problem, because “there are still too many old crocodiles”.
3. Category: pregnancy and CV
Thresholds that apply specifically to women are of course getting children and this
“right on moments when career opportunities are appearing”. One of the researchers
said the following: “My CV would have looked very different if I did not have
children (pregnancy of 9 months, and 6 months after birth being not productive at
the same level).” It is “the number of publications which counts” and the experience
which you acquire abroad. On this issue as well, there are notable differences
between disciplines. The pressure to publish internationally is bigger for exact
scientists then for human scientists, although this is changing as well. According to
one of the researchers, “it would be stupid to become pregnant if you aspire to a
mandate function”.
4. Category: job characteristics
Another barrier that women experience and which is not considered a gender
problem, is the fact that an academic job demands much effort of a person.
5. Category: female researcher’s characteristics
Women have management skills. They distinguish themselves by their communicative
qualities and their broad interests. However, these ‘female’ characteristics are
often less appreciated. “Women are more often teachers, are good at reporting
exactly, and they do well in education, but these qualities are underestimated.”
6. Category: social representation
There is also something wrong with society’s conception of the way a woman
should behave. “If a child is ill, the mother is supposed to stay at home”, or “the
traditional family role is emphasized too much” and “if they call from school, it is
always to the mother”. On the work floor, the woman is looked upon as “sweet
and helpful, rather than an expert”. This stereotypical representation is also present
in the minds of students: “young female professors are considered as assistants”.
7. Category: looking at things through the male perspective/standards
Most commissions have male scientists to evaluate proposals, also for projects and
statutes. “These commissions, such as the CAP-Commission, look at things from a
male perspective” and “the statutes are evaluated by a group of traditional men”.
8. Category: private life ! work
For many women it remains a problem to combine family and work. Sometimes, a