In article <199806290852.JAA01914 at gps1.leeds.ac.uk>, "Michelle Peckham"
<mp at chb.leeds.ac.uk> wrote:
>Dear All
>I have been to two smallish meetings recently, where the proportion
>of women attending was about 20% but the proportion of women
>speakers was at 5-10%. This could partly be because more of the
>women attending were junior, but I don't think this is the whole reason.
>I'm trying to find out if this is a common experience.
>If you have been to a meeting in the past year, and can let me know
>the proportion of women attending, and the proportion of women
>speakers, I'd be very interested. Also the title, and content matter
>of the conference - is it worse in some areas than others?
>(My own field is muscle, and the cytoskeleton).
>>If this is an overall trend, then we should draw attention to it, as
>if there is one important thing in science, it is communicating
>your work to others, and the oral is just as important as the written.
>Lack of representation at meetings is then effectively denying women
>the chance to speak.
>>Michelle Peckham
>University of Leeds
>University of Leeds
>Leeds LS2 9JT
>0113 233 4348 direct line
>0113 233 4344 fax
Michelle-I do not know the exact proportion of women attending the
Experimental Biology meeting, but I have noticed that the proportion of
women chairing sessions there has increased in the last 8 years. The
American Heart Association meeting in '94 (the last time I will probably
ever attend it) was male-run and predominantly male speakers. I believe
the key to getting more women on the podiums at meetings is getting more
women on the program committees and chairing sessions.
Cindy
--
C.J. Fuller
<mailto:cjfuller at erickson.uncg.edu>
<mailto:cjfuller at mindspring.com>
