Women are still underrepresented in STEMM disciplines
Women are still underrepresented in STEMM disciplines especially at the top levels of academia, and this is despite years of effort to promote gender parity, according to Associate Professor Christen Mirth, the newly appointed Associate Dean (Equity, Diversity & Inclusion) in the Faculty of Science at Monash University.
“Poor representation of women in STEMM disciplines is partly due to the lack of women mentors,” Associate Professor Mirth said.
“You can't be what you can't see,” she said.
“The sense of isolation at being one of the only women in your school or department, in addition to frustration in the face of unconscious bias, causes women to leave the pipeline. This problem becomes compounded for women with intersectional identities.”
Associate Professor Mirth, from the School of Biological Sciences at Monash University, heads the Developmental Responses to Environmental Change Research Group. The Group covers a broad range of topics including: understanding how environmental factors affect body size and shape, determining how the organs of the body coordinate their growth and patterning, investigating how environmental factors affect foraging choice, and exploring the evolution of plasticity.
Associate Professor Mirth is passionate about science but equally driven on issues concerning equity, diversion and inclusion.
She has recently been appointed Associate Dean (Equity, Diversity & Inclusion) – the first position of its kind to be established by the Faculty of Science.
Associate Professor Mirth will be a key member of the Faculty of Science senior leadership team and will work closely with the Dean, Professor Jordan Nash, to drive and support the advancement of equity, diversity and inclusion strategies for staff and students.
She has served on the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion committee for the School of Biological Science since 2021, and as chair since 2022.
“I loved this role, but felt that many of the changes I wished to see implemented needed to be done at the Faculty level,” Associate Professor Mirth said.
“The culture within our Schools within the Faculty of Science is open-minded, solutions-focussed, and ambitious,” she said.
“Our Faculty is in an excellent position to implement creative, evidence-based practice to address our equity, diversity and inclusion challenges.
“I also believe that with a strong commitment to equity, we can become a global reference for equity, diversity and inclusion in science.”
In coming months Associate Professor Mirth will be consulting directly with members of the Science community from underrepresented groups to understand their needs and perspectives.
She aims to also review hiring and promotion practices, to identify and mitigate sources of unconscious bias, and to develop leadership programs for equity champions.
To celebrate the UN International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11 February Associate Professor Mirth has convened a mentoring network event for Monash staff and students only titled “This Little Girl Grew Up to be a Scientist”. The event is designed to increase the visibility of women mentors and to create important connections amongst women researchers.
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