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Ensure gender equality

by Nora Dibowski last modified 2007-05-18 13:08

Ensuring and promoting equal opportunities when fellows have been appointed. Along with fairness in recruitment, there should also be equality in day-to-day employment. This should include the formal aspects of employment (such as job performance appraisal) as well as the informal (the way individual members are treated on a day-to-day basis). Partner Sites are asked to take every care that there is no explicit or implicit discrimination in their working environments, and that there is no sex-based stereotyping.


Flexible working

Some Fellows, male and female, may need flexible working patterns in order to balance employment with their domestic situation. All Partner Sites are asked to facilitate this where possible, and consider requests for flexible working fairly and transparently.

Training

Partner Sites are asked to consider EVAN’s training remit in order to encourage the participation of women. Many anthropology undergraduates are female but fewer continue as research students or postdoctoral researchers, especially in the more technical and scientific areas of anthropology. It is possible that with appropriate and well-designed training, an undergraduate or postgraduate with general anthropological skills and knowledge will be able to apply these to a more specialised area. The Fellow would then benefit through the development of specialist skills, and the Network would benefit from having Fellows with a wider range of backgrounds and interests. The training remit of the Network should also give opportunities for women to ‘reskill’ after a career break. Do not automatically disqualify a candidate from a position simply because they lack knowledge of a specific programming language or piece of equipment. Instead, assess their achievements to date, future potential, willingness to learn and interest in the topic, and consider seriously whether training in a specific area could turn them into an excellent researcher in your field.

The Gender Board will work closely with the Training Administrator to ensure that Fellows’ training is specific to their individual needs and experiences. If you have a query related to training and equality, please contact the Gender Board and the Training Administrator.

Mentoring

Mentoring is important for all Fellows, but there is an additional need for specific female-female mentoring. Having positive female role models and the opportunity to talk to more experienced women about general career issues are factors that are important in encouraging women to progress in science and academia. Thus, all women Fellows are assigned a female mentor, in addition to their general scientific mentor. At Sites where there is no suitable female mentor, the Fellow are assigned an email ‘buddy’, with whom they can discuss issues by email and by using videoconferencing facilities.


EVANWOMEN discussion list

All women involved in EVAN are invited to join the EVAN AND PALEO discussion list for equality and science issues EVANWOMEN@JISCMAIL.AC.UK. This mailing list acts as a forum for discussion about day-to-day employment, career progression, women in science more generally, and any other topics of interest and relevance. It is used alongside the mentoring scheme to promote a supportive atmosphere for Network participants. archives at http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/EVANWOMEN.html


EVAN Discussion Forum for Women's Issues