Gender equality in academia set back by the coronavirus pandemic

During the coronavirus pandemic, there has been a lower output of female academia, compared to a 50% increase of journal articles published by male academics, The Guardian has reported.

This has been attributed to the increased responsibilities women have had to take on during the pandemic, including childcare, home schooling, and house work.

During the annual lecture of Aarhus University’s Centre for Higher Education Futures, Professor Jane den Hollander highlighted that women were more likely to be in more junior and insecure jobs in academia. This made them more at risk of redundancy.

Dr Viki Male, an immunologist at Imperial College London, reported often having 16-hour work days including work and childcare.

As she earns less than her husband and has more flexibility about her schedule, the bulk of domestic duties falls to her.

“It made sense for me to be on domestics from nine to five,” she told The Guardian. “I suspect, around the country, couples have had the same sorts of conversations we had. It probably reflects systemic ways in which men’s and women’s jobs often differ.”

Research has fallen by the wayside […] It’s important and I want to do it, but it’s not as urgent as supporting my students. My students and my children have to be my priority

–Dr Jenny Hallam

Dr Jenny Hallam, a senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Derby, has echoed the difficulties of juggling work with childcare.

“Research has fallen by the wayside,” she said. “It’s important and I want to do it, but it’s not as urgent as supporting my students. My students and my children have to be my priority.”

World University Rankings has also reported a bias towards male coverage of news regarding coronavirus.

The article, written by a group of female scientists, highlights that while women are advising policymakers on the outbreak and performing clinical studies, men are more often quoted in media coverage.

The Lancet, a leading medical journal, reiterated this in June 2020. It points out that women have made up just 24% of Covid-19 experts quoted in the media and 24.3% of national task forces analysed.