The situation of women scientists in academia in Poland Magdalena Zajac-Fras Cracow University of Economics

Presentation: Gender structure of students Gender structure at the universities and glass ceiling Grants and publications among scientist Family status and university career of academics Expenditure on science and other problems Conclusions

Gender structure of students in Poland Persons with higher education: Decade of eighties: 6,5% 2004: 10,2% 2010: 20% Women are better educated than men In the period 1990-2005: the number of female students increased 5 times the number of male students increased 4 times

The proportion of women among persons with the degree of the Ph. D The proportion of women among persons with the degree of the Ph.D., the Habilitated Doctor and the title of Professor among years (1/2; 1/3; 1/4) Ph.D. Habilitated Doctor Professor Per cent of women 1970 27,40 20,70 9,40 1980 31,80 21,20 21,50 1990 30,90 21,40 22,90 2000 41,63 29,05 26,61 2003 46,94 32,12 26,81 Science and technology in 2003, Warsaw, Central Statistical Office 2004.

The Glass Ceiling Index (GCI) – indicator that measures the relative chance for women compared to men of reaching a top position GCI = P / Pa P = proportion of women in grade A+B+C Pa = proportion of women in grade A Grade A – Full professor Grade B – Habilitated doctor Grade C – Doctor If GCI=1 there is no difference between women and men regarding promotion The higher the value the thicker the glass ceiling SheFigures 2006, Eurostat, p. 52, 101; Re-claiming a political voice: women and science in Central Europe, Prague 2008, p. 141.

The Glass Ceiling Index in academic institutions SheFigures 2006, Eurostat, p. 59.

Managerial positions in higher education institutions and R&D units Women (%) Director 5,8 Dean 45,8 Manager 19,5 Vice-rector 14,4 Rector / Prorector 8,6 Re-claiming a political voice: women and science in Central Europe, Prague 2008, p. 142.

University phenomena Lower expenditures on science, lower number of men in academia Women as „winners among losers” External brain drain Internal brain drain Source: R. Siemienska, The puzzle of gender research productivity in Polish Universities, in: Gendered Career Trajectories in Academia in Cross-National Perspective, ed. R. Siemienska, A. Zimmer, SCHOLAR, Warszaw 2008, p. 241-265.

Trends in receiving grants and publications Grants: professors > young researchers Polish grants: men>women Foreign grants: women=men Abroad publications: men>women Polish publications: women>men Biggest publication productivity: Women - age 51-65 Men – age 30 - 63 Source: R. Siemienska, The puzzle of gender research productivity in Polish Universities, in: Gendered Career Trajectories in Academia in Cross-National Perspective, ed. R. Siemienska, A. Zimmer, SCHOLAR, Warszaw 2008, p. 252-257.

Time between status passages by sex in Poland (in years) Women Men M.A. – Ph. D. 7,7 6,8 Ph. D. - habilitation 11,1 9,7 Habilitation - professorship 11,2 10,3 Source: A. Majcher, Seeking the guilty – Academics between career and family in Poland and Germany, in: Gendered Career Trajectories in Academia in Cross-National Perspective, ed. R. Siemienska, A. Zimmer, SCHOLAR, Warszaw 2008, p.307.

Family status of academics in Poland Variables Women (%) Men (%) Married 64,7 93,3 Single/never married 13,1 1,9 Parent 74,9 92,3 Mean number of children 1,2 1,7 Mean age of having the first/only child 34,3 31,3 Mean age of having the youngest child 31,5 27,1 Source: A. Majcher, Seeking the guilty – Academics between career and family in Poland and Germany, in: Gendered Career Trajectories in Academia in Cross-National Perspective, ed. R. Siemienska, A. Zimmer, SCHOLAR, Warszaw 2008, p.312.

Childcare being an obstacle to the professional work Source: A. Majcher, Seeking the guilty – Academics between career and family in Poland and Germany, in: Gendered Career Trajectories in Academia in Cross-National Perspective, ed. R. Siemienska, A. Zimmer, SCHOLAR, Warszaw 2008, p.317.

Possible conclusions: To adjust career schemes, to take into account different life trajectories of women and their additional responsibilities in the family To behave as if women did not bear children, assign care responsibilities to the public institutions To support a new division of labour within families, adjust career schemes to different life trajectories Source: A. Majcher, Seeking the guilty – Academics between career and family in Poland and Germany, in: Gendered Career Trajectories in Academia in Cross-National Perspective, ed. R. Siemienska, A. Zimmer, SCHOLAR, Warszaw 2008, p.324.

R&D expenditure as a percentage of GDP Country 1992 1995 1997 2000 2001 Czech Rep. 1,72 1,01 1,16 1,33 1,3 Hungary 1,05 0,73 0,72 0,8 0,95 POLAND 0,83 0,69 0,71 0,67 0,68 Slovakia 1,8 0,93 1,09 0,65 0,64 Waste of talents: turning private struggles into a public issue, Women and Science in the Enwise countries,Science and Society, Brussels, p. 60.

Main problems of women in academia in Poland: Glass ceiling External and internal brain drain Low expenditure on higher education, low salaries Double burden – at home and in the workplace Lack of childcare institutions Different mandatory retirement ages