Prof Lesley Yellowlees: Women in Science - What has chemistry ever done for me?

Synopsis

As the first woman President of the Royal Society of Chemistry in its 171 year history, Prof Yellowlees is passionate about inspiring and increasing the numbers of women studying and working in the sciences. It is of great concern that the majority of women with qualifications in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects do not work in STEM areas in Scotland. This is in contrast to men. The consequence is a serious loss to the economy and to the subject area. The 'leaky pipeline' as it has been christened has significant implications for skills shortages in STEM areas. This is not a problem unique to Scotland but what can be done to fix the leak?

So why do so many female scientists opt not to have a career in STEM? If there was only one reason then it would be easier to tackle. Instead there are many, such as long working hours, lack of support, unconscious bias, macho culture, family considerate working conditions, inflexible funding structures and isolation. Some of these reasons are real and some are perceptions but the distinction between these two doesn't really matter. In contrast, Yellowlees has had a very positive experience in chemistry and tries to make it a priority to remember the help and support she was given and to give back. Statistics, observations and recollections will all feature in the presentation.

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