04/02/2008

The problems faced by female Greek researchers and the measures which should be taken in order to support the progress of their scientific career are portrayed in the study "Mapping of the Greek Female Research Potential in Science" (www.ekt.gr/ereunitries), undertaken by the Greek National Documentation Centre (EKT). According to the results of quantitative and qualitative research, female researchers in the public sector (universities and research institutes) consider the lack of appropriate state policy and commitments towards children and family to be fundamentally restrictive factors for their scientific careers. For this reason, they consider State family support and an improvement in working conditions to be essential.

According to Dr Evi Sahini (Director of the EKT Department of Strategic planning and Development), the study produced the necessary background information and, for the first time in Greece, resulted in a systematic method of collecting details about female researchers, with the aim of promoting policies of equality in the Research and Technology sector. As Dr Sahini points out: "We are on a course where we can extract statistical indicators based on common EU specifications. These details will be updated on a regular basis and will be evaluated when creating policies for supporting female researchers and dealing with the problems they meet in their careers."

Twenty-one Higher Education Institutions and 52 research organisations contributed to the quantitative study. The electronic questionnaire for the study was completed by 757 researchers. Analysis of the questionnaires revealed that the highest proportion of female researchers (43%) work in Social Sciences and Humanities, and 34% in Medical Sciences. Essential factors for a scientific career are considered to be the quality of education (45%) and family support (32%) The organisations that took part in the study were also asked for details regarding the number of women in decision-making centres. Based on the details given by 50 organisations, it was revealed that women fill only 30% of the posts in decision-making centres.

The quantitative study was performed using the Qualitative Data Collection Method, with interviews from a sample of 100 researchers, who were chosen by systematic random sampling. The following results were discovered from analysis of the interviews. The lack of infrastructure and the lack of a merits system were considered to create fundamental difficulties for women entering the profession. Direct discrimination in the workplace was not referred to, but indirect discrimination was discussed, mostly by slightly older researchers. Informal prejudices against women and a lack of meritocracy were given as reasons for discrimination.

Interaction with male co-workers was recorded as being very good, although more than 50% of the sample recognised that female researchers face more problems relating to the lack of time due to family obligations. For these reasons, 66% considered gender as an obstacle to career advancement. Of the researchers, 76.3% suggested that their work interfered with their family lives, and the majority of researchers in the sample (76%) had no desire to pursue higher positions. Of those who contributed to the study, 92% stated that they were satisfied or very satisfied with their profession.

Processing the quantitative and qualitative data collected will help form suggestions for future policies for combating discrimination, with such actions as adopting a Gender Mainstreaming Policy (incorporating the gender dimension into all EU policies), making suggestions for necessary legislative changes, adopting good practice and scientific methods when hiring, selecting and promoting staff, and combating gender stereotypes.

Source: National Documentation Centre