PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF CZECH WOMEN PHYSICISTS _______________________________________________ Raji HEYROVSKÁ J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Jarmila KODYMOVÁ Institute of Physics of the Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Olga KRUPKOVÁ Mathematical Institute, Silesian University, Opava, Czech Republic Jana MUSILOVÁ Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic

PAST of Czech Women Physicists How to view past activities of Czech women in physics 1/ In connection with history, general education possibilities of Czech women and political climate of Czech Republic T.G. Masaryk (the 1 st president of the Czech Republic) in the Austrian parliament, June 1891: “It is strange that while worrying about schools we forget about half of the human society, about women. Woman should be educated better, because she herself is the educator… and thus secondary schools and universities should be open for women. And that is what I ask for.”  The first 60 female students of physics and mathematics at Prague Charles University attended the first semester in the period 1897/98 to 1916/17.  Consequences of four decades of communist “forced emancipation”: - Certain fields like teaching, health care, and economics are heavily feminized, while technical schools are dominated by men. - Czech women did not desire for professional advancement as it was usually connected with corresponding obligatory political involvement. Source: D. Kotlandova Koenig: Higher education and the Czech women’s rights movement, Thesis

How to view past activities of Czech women in physics 2/In connection with publication activity of Czech women physicists in Czechoslovak Journal for Cultivation of Physics (present Czechoslovak Journal of Physics)  The first article published by a woman author is of 1933 and it concerned philosophical problems in mathematics and physics  Example of statistical rate of scientific papers published by women and men in this journal Year Number of articles Total Published by Women %

How to view past activities of Czech women in physics 3/ With appreciation of scientific successes of Czech women physicists attained in hard social, economical and political conditions Homage to the first outstanding Czech woman physicist Professor Adéla KOCHANOVSKÁ (1907 – 1985)  Since 1931 the author or co-author of more than 70 scientific papers related to theoretical and experimental research of solid state structures and crystallography  Known by rich pedagogical activity  The first Czech woman physicist elected as a Member-Correspondent of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, in 1968

PRESENT of Czech Women Physicists Students of Physics (1999) TotalWomen% Number of college/university students Number of college/university students in physics Number of graduate students in all fields Number of graduate students in physics Number of master’s degrees awarded in all fields Number of master’s degrees awarded in physics Number of doctoral degrees awarded in physics Source: J. Humlíček, the Czech liaison committee of the IUPAP Working Group on the Status of Women in Physics, May 2000

Czech Women with University Education in Academy of Sciences ________________________________________________________________________ Scientific Branch TotalMenWomen% ________________________________________________________________________ SB SB SB SB1+SB2+SB ________________________________________________________________________ SB1 – scientific branches of non-live nature (including physics) SB2 – scientific branches of live nature and chemistry SB3 – scientific branches of social and human sciences Source: Gender Equal Opportunities, Sociological Institute of the Academy of Sciences, 2001 Seminar Women and Science, Prague, May 2001 The first meting of Czech women working in science and research organized by the Sociological Institute of the Academy of Science, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic, the Charles University, and Faculty of Sociology and Human Studies in Prague.

Czech Women in Leading Positions of Academy of Sciences ______________________________________________________________________ Scientific BranchTotal Men Women % ____________________________________________________________________ SB SB SB SB1+SB2+SB _____________________________________________________________________ SB1 – scientific branches of non-live nature (including physics) SB2 – scientific branches of live nature and chemistry SB3 – scientific branches of social and human sciences Source: Gender Equal Opportunities, the Sociological Institute of the Academy of Sciences, 2001

Czech Women in Positions at Universities ______________________________________________________________________ Position Total Men Women % ______________________________________________________________________ Professor Associate professor Assistant professor (with PhD) Assistant specialist (without PhD) _____________________________________________________________________ Source: Gender Equal Opportunities, the Sociological Institute of the Academy of Sciences, 2001

Women in Departments of Physics at Czech Universities (Source: www pages January 2002) Czech Universities ProfessorAssociate professorAssist.professor (with PhD) Assist.professor (without PhD) MW%W% W DrSc MW%W% W DrSc MW%W% MW%W% Charles Univ., Prague (14 Depart. of physics) Technical Univ, Prague (10 Depart. of physics) Masaryk Univ., Brno (4 Depart. of physics) Technical Univ., Brno (3 Depart. of physics) Palacky Univ., Olomouc (3 Depart. of physics) Technical Univ., Ostrava (1 Depart. of physics) Ostrava Univ., Ostrava (1 Depart. of physics) Silesian Univ., Opava (1 Depart. of physics)

Representation of Women Physicists at Czech Universities 1– Professors, 2 – Associate professors, 3 – Assistant professors and/or Researches (PhD), 4 – Assistant professors and/or Researches (without PhD), 5 – PhD students

Women in Departments of Physics at Universities Comments Number of women professors is marginal (5%), 4 women of 5 reached DrSc. degree (the highest scientific degree in CR), which is a high rate in comparison with men professors. Note: Husbands of 2 of the total 4 women who are holders of DrSc. and Prof. title are also Prof. and DrSc.in the same branch of physics. One woman only is among heads of 37 departments of physical sciences. Two women are vice-heads of departments. Two women heads of divisions within departments. Twenty two of 103 of the total PhD students of pure and applied physics are women, i.e. 21.4%. Lower academic career in physics is chosen by about 15 % of women, but the highest degrees is reached by only very few of them.

Women Physicists in the Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences TotalMenWomen% Professor12 00 DrSc degree37 00 PhD degree Researchers (without PhD) Women in leading positions: In 2001, a woman became the vice-director of the Institute of Physics, first time in the history of the institute. Currently, three women are members of the Scientific Council of the institute (27 members in all). Women in leading positions: In 2001, a woman became the vice-director of the Institute of Physics, first time in the history of the institute. Currently, three women are members of the Scientific Council of the institute (27 members in all).

Representation of Women Physicists in the Union of Czech Mathematicians and Physicists, Physical Section _______________________________________________________________________ Year Total Men Women % ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Physical Section of the UCMP is member of the European Physical Society Presently 3 women physicists are members of the Executive Committee of Physical Section having 14 members in all (i.e, 21 % of women). Presently 2 women physicists are members of the Central Committee of UCMP

FUTURE of Czech Women Physicists How to look upon the problem of low representation of Czech women in physical sciences 1/ Education system, system of research funding in CR  Education in all professions including physics on each education level is open and available to men and women in the same extend (no women’s discrimination).  Funds for research are got mostly individually, distributed in national competitions by grant agencies (GA CR, GA AS, GA Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports CR), or in international competitions (e.g. grants from EU, NATO). In these competitions, there are the same conditions and possibilities for women and men, but women can be handicapped due to discontinuity in research because of maternity leave.  no substantial reasons for low representation of women in physics

How to look upon the problem of low representation of Czech women in physics 2/ Financial evaluation (salaries) of physicists, standard of living of physicist’s families  Relatively low salaries in all age categories and scientific degrees are typical for this profession.  Standard of living of most families of women physicists is not on a high level to allow them to do profession without responsibilities for household, everyday shopping, children care, old parents care, etc.  objective reasons for low interest women in this profession 3/Social prestige of this profession, social climate in the Czech Rep.  Profession of physics has low social prestige (concerning both men and women), and present social climate is not in favor of women in research and in top academic and leading positions.  objective reasons for low interest of women in this profession

How to look upon problem of low representation of Czech women in physics 4 / Demands of this profession on time and full concentration   Physics is rather hard subject for study and presupposes some kind of talent, logical thinking and interest. This profession requires great enthusiasm and full-time concentration. It is, however, entirely incompatible with the role of woman in the Czech family. The period when children need a lot of care is very long (it can be up to 3 years of a child’s age), which leads to restriction or even stagnation of professional growth. To be a woman-physicist and mother simultaneously, it presupposes some help and understanding of husband and rest of family.   objective reason for low representation of women in physics  Progressive removal of the above mentioned problems and increasing the years of employment, salary and status of women after their children do not demand their time can improve the number of Czech women in physics.