One way to increase female representation in scientific fields is to use affirmative actions in hiring, such that only women are eligible to apply.Twenty years ago, when one of us joined the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology at the University of Melbourne, Australia, women represented only 13% of the academic staff. By the end of 2017, the figure was still only 16%, despite efforts to bridge the gender gap.
But was it legal? Yes. In the state of Victoria, where the university is based, the law allows a special measure for promoting equality. However, we strongly advise that recruiters check the relevant legal sanctions before embarking on something similar.The strategy has been highly successful in attracting outstanding female applicants, both from home and abroad, to the School of Mathematics and Statistics.
All these misgivings were valid, and came from both male and female colleagues. But, uncomfortable as these discussions were, the continued engagement and conversations provided an opportunity to discuss women’s generational and entrenched under-representation in STEM — and, more importantly, the painfully slow pace at which we were making progress.
Why?