How Important are

Women in Physics Constança Providência and M. Margarida R. Costa Departamento de Física, Universidade de Coimbra Sofia Andringa and Catarina Quintans LIP, Lisboa Ana Maria Eiró Departamento de Física, Universidade de Lisboa

in Portugal?

Why do we have so many women in physics?

In the public universities there are about 27% of women in each different category. Contrary to other fields in physics women have similar representations at all levels. 25% of the physics researchers are women. Physics Departments of Public Universities

The representation of women in leading physics research positions is similar to their representation at at University positions 21% vs 27% The representation is quite smaller in leading physics research plus administrative positions 12% vs 26%

1.In all fields women are not well represented in leadership positions. This is particularly true in health sciences, chemistry and engineering fields. 2.In physics this trend is less stricking. Comparing different fields of Science

BACKGROUND Three different “eras”: A- Until early 70´s: 1. social class and not gender selects the access to the university. 2. gender influences the field chosen: girls choose arts and sciences courses secondary school teacher positions other less well paid professions. boys choose technological courses, law and medicine well paid liberal jobs. B- From mid 70´s till early 90´s: 1. large growth, qualitative and quantitative, of the Portuguese scientific community 2. political measures give equal opportunities for men and women. 3. better life conditions, economic independence and social ascension are the spring for the fast increase of working women in all fields. 4. advanced studies are a recognized need but research is not yet a priority.

C- The last ten years: 1. R&D gets important financial support from Portugal and Europe 2. political measures duplicate number of PhD’s in 5 years. 3. evaluation of R&D research centres starts according to international standards Starting a Physics Career: Up to the 70’s (Margarida and Ana) The best physics students get very easily a job at the University. After 1-2 years they easily get a grant to prepare PhD abroad. Almost no PhD’s in Portugal. After the PhD permanent job at the University In the 80’s (Constança) The best physics students get very easily a job at the University. After 4-6 years they can prepare PhD in Portugal or abroad. After the PhD permanent job at the University

In the 90’s (Sofia and Catarina) The best students get easily a grant to prepare PhD. After PhD the future is uncertain: 1. post-doc grants 2. teaching at private universities with no research structures 3. teaching at politechnics, with no physics department and no research structures 4. older universities, where research groups are organized, don´t offer positions Finding jobs with a physics degree: 1. Teaching in the secondary school 2. university career with teaching and possibly research 3. in industry, where almost no research done, engineers are prefered 4. still very small offer in hospitals In 1996/97: 60,1% of women started a University course in Sciences 4 years latter from those who finished the course, 67,9% are women Comment: women have slightly better perfomance during studies than men

In 1994/95 Among all physics/ chemistry teachers at secundary school 77% are women Comment: it is natural for young people to learn physics from female teachers Working women: 1.With age between 20 and 44, the % of working women in general is: 83% if without children; 72% if with children 0-5 years old. 2. Existing organized structures to look after children, 3. Enlarged family collaborates in the bringing up of children (particularly true one generation ago when older women did not have professional careers) 4. Until the 80’s it was relatively inexpensive to pay for a full time person (always a woman) to look after children.

Women with PhDs in Exact, Natural and Educational Sciences How are numbers changing

1.the rate at which women finish PhD at present is not increasing and does not reflect the recent money investments in sciences. This is contrary to the situation with men, who show a clear increase of the nº of PhD’s per year. 2. the present unstability beyind a Physics career makes it less attractive to women who need a stable job to be able to deal with professional commitment and family life. 3. there is an increase in the preference of women for biogical sciences and related fields, e.g. biochemistry, biotechnology

Final Considerations The compatibility of a professional career with a family is an unsolved problem in our society, eventually with no perfect solution. This problem can be partially solved with : 1.flexible working hours 2. flexible working places, 3.the existence of support structures for children 4. support from employers, namely in academics, being released from administrative duties and not overburdened with teaching. Data source: FCT, OCT, Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal. D. Canço and I. Castro, Portugal Situação das Mulheres 2001, Comissão para a Igualdade e para os Direitos das Mulheres.