What can men do to help?

First off, I want to say welcome to all the new visitors coming over from the AAS website to the blog!  Glad you stumbled onto my humble little corner of the web.

Secondly, I apologize for any lack of clarity in the following post. It’s a little late, I’m a little sleep deprived, I’m very coffee deprived (ok, the coupons are good but still don’t supply nearly enough caffeine for my grad-student level addiction to the stuff), and I’m gleefully exhausted from a long day of talks, posters, networking, swag, and just some good ole’ fashioned (and new-fangled) astronomy.

Despite my exhaustion, I wanted to chat a bit about one of the issues near and dear to my heart.  This afternoon at AAS217, I went to the CSWA (Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy)-sponsored town hall on “What Can Men Do to Help Women Succeed in Astronomy?”  This is one of the questions that’s been clanging around my head for awhile now.  Ever since I attended the WIA meeting in the Fall of 2009, where a few brave male souls came out to express their support in a sea of strong and assertive women, I’ve come to better recognize the importance of getting men involved in women’s issues (because in reality, most of these issues are issues that affect the community at large).

There were a variety of suggestions highlighted on how men can help the cause of women in astronomy.  I will summarize and paraphrase below.

1.  Realize there’s a problem.  Learn to be “repulsed” if you’re in a situation with >2 men to every woman.  Promoting diversity promotes excellence.  Don’t say (or let someone else say) that scientists should just “pick the best” for any situation.  Yes, of course, we want to do the best science possible.  But be cognizant that when someone is in a stressful situation (ie feeling harassed or in a hostile work environment), not all their energy can go to their science! Realize this can be a stressor and work to relieve it.

2.  Speak up.  Don’t let people tell inappropriate jokes.   Chime in to remind others of suggestions made by women in a large group.  If you’re on a hiring committee or workshop/conference committee, bring up the need for diversity on panels and in invited speakers- check the CSWA list.  Make sure your department knows about the suggestions for best practices in hiring.

3.  Work to change policies.  A family friendly workplace is just good for everyone! Again, diversity breeds excellence and creativity, and that’s good for everyone.  And family friendly policies breed collegial enviroments.  Even if you’re single and don’t have kids, encourage your university to adopt policies that include both maternal and paternal leave (and family care!).  If your university already has such policies, collect that information and share it with your colleagues and potential hires so they know their resources.  Encourage the university, funding agencies, and the govenment to allot for family leave, and expand existing policies for faculty members down to the ranks of post-docs and grad students.

So those are some of the main points made this afternoon.  Do you have other ideas?  How can men help promote the cause of women in STEM fields?

As a female in astronomy, with a history in physics, and with many years spent organizing and working for the cause at the various universities I have called home, getting men involved is definitely one of the things on my personal agenda for promoting gender equity.  Again, these issues aren’t all female-centric- they’re being-actual-people-centric.  Work-life balance is an issue for most scientists.  Dealing with family is time-consuming and learning how to prioritize various situations is tough.  Feeling supported at work is key to leading a happy and succesful family and work life.

In the graduate women in STEM organization I’m currently a part of, I have definitely tried to encourage our specific inclusion of men, and I have met some resistance from some of my fellow organizers.  They feel that women need a safe space to discuss these issues.  And while I can see their point to some extent, I feel as though having male allies in no way belittles our cause or our abilities to help each other achieve success.  Beyond figuring out how men can help and what they, personally, can do… my question to you all is–

What can women do to get men involved, so men can help?  How can we do this?  How do we, as women, provide a safe environment for women feeling the need to voice their concerns amongst other women?  How do we balance those roles of women in STEM groups with the overall goal of equality and diversity in science?  How do we make men feel welcome, and as though they too, have a stake in how all this works out?  How do we fight resistance in our groups against male involvement?

I’ve got a few ideas, but I’m looking for more.  How have you helped facilitate people-friendly policies and groups at your institutions?  How have you gotten both men and women to understand the importance of conversion instead of exclusion?  How do you balance gender-specific goals with people specific ones?

Ahhh!  There’s just so much to think about.  So let me know some of your ideas.  I’ll sleep on it and maybe we’ll chat about it tomorrow.

 

(Oh, and I saw some copies of the WIA2009 conference proceedings floating around- you should check them out! Or, they’re available online here.)