Take Action: Minimize Career Penalties for Caregivers in STEM Fields During the COVID-19 Pandemic
This Take Action post was put together by the 500 Women Scientists Sci-Mom Journeys team
The COVID-19 global pandemic has wreaked havoc on our lives. First, we acknowledge the essential workers, communities of people of color, and others whose health is disproportionately affected by the novel coronavirus. We are thankful that many scientists are able to safely work from home, or in research labs with appropriate safety measures.
As we endeavor to continue scientific research under these new work conditions, disruptions in caregiving services for children and elderly or disabled adults presents a challenge. The additional attention and time required for caregiving will disproportionately fall to women, and thus exacerbate already existing gender disparities in science, as we describe in this Scientific American Op-Ed. Indeed, recent research indicates that women are experiencing reductions in dedicated research time and there is some evidence women are submitting fewer publications. In particular, the productivity of early career women scientists with young children has been hard hit by the pandemic.
Take Action
Utilize our template letter recommending that leadership at your institution provide support for caregivers and include a link to our policy and recommendations. If your institution has a committee/group dedicated to gender equity and/or diversity and inclusion, consider asking them to sign on to the letter.
Is there an early career fellowship or opportunity in your field with an upcoming deadline that will disadvantage scientists with significant caregiving responsibilities? Let us know about it so we can advocate on the behalf of you/your colleagues!
See our recent letter and tweet to NSF about their prestigious early career grant proposal deadline. Help us amplify!
Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash