kids encyclopedia robot

Beyond Bias and Barriers facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering (ISBN: 0309100429) is an important report. It was written by the National Academy of Sciences in the United States. Published in 2006, the report looked closely at why there are fewer women in science and engineering jobs in colleges and universities. It also suggested ways to fix this problem.

How the Report Was Made

This report was created by a special group called the "Committee on Maximizing the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering." This group was part of the National Academy of Sciences.

The committee was led by Donna Shalala. It included many smart people like college presidents, professors, scientists, and policy experts. Some of the members were Alice Agogino, Lotte Bailyn, Robert J. Birgeneau, Ana Mari Cauce, Catherine D. DeAngelis, Denice Denton, Barbara J. Grosz, Jo Handeslman, Nan Keohane, Shirley Malcom, Geraldine L. Richmond, Alice Rivlin, Ruth Simmons, Elizabeth Spelke, Joan A. Steitz, Elaine Weyuker, and Maria Zuber.

Like most reports from the National Academy of Sciences, this one was checked by other experts. This process is called peer review. Another group of nineteen members reviewed the report before it was released.

What the Report Found

The report first showed that there are fewer women in science as they move up in their education and careers. This is sometimes called a "leaky pipeline." It means that women start out strong but then drop off at different stages. For example, over the last 30 years, many women earned advanced degrees in social sciences and life sciences. But only a small number became full professors in those fields. Even fewer minority women became professors.

The report then looked at why these differences exist. It found that the main reasons were:

  • Unconscious bias: This means people might unfairly judge women without even realizing it.
  • Unfair evaluations: The ways people are judged for jobs or promotions can be unfair.
  • Old ideas about families: The system was built on the idea that one parent (usually the mother) stays home with children. This makes it harder for women to balance work and family.

The report found clear proof of bias. Women were often paid less and promoted more slowly. They also received fewer awards and held fewer leadership roles. Even though some progress has been made, like more women entering graduate school in biology, big differences still exist.

The report also said that common ideas about differences between men and women were mostly wrong. Things like different abilities, career goals, or work habits were not the main reasons for the gaps.

What Can Be Done

Finally, the report suggested many ways to make things fairer. These ideas aim to "stop the leaks" in the pipeline. Some of the recommendations include:

  • Changing how colleges hire and evaluate people for jobs and promotions.
  • Giving more support to working parents in colleges.
  • Watching hiring practices across different fields to make sure they are fair.
  • Using "blind-review" in peer review processes. This means the reviewers don't know if the person they are judging is a man or a woman. This helps prevent gender bias.
kids search engine
Beyond Bias and Barriers Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.