Gender inequality and not female mentors hinder female scientists career outcomes

Abstract

Studies on gender disparity in academia generate constructive discussions to promote equality. In a recently published study, AlShebli et al. 2020 analyzed the role of informal mentorship in supporting early-career scientists and how gender may shape scientific careers. Besides presenting methodological flaws, the study culminates in the authors' conclusion that mentoring quality is determined by the mentor's gender, suggesting that female protégés reap more benefits when mentored by males rather than equally-impactful females. Despite acknowledging that possible causal factors were not considered in their analyses, they attest that the success of female scientists' careers relies on opposite-gender mentorships in terms of publication and impact. Although the authors state that these findings add a new perspective to the policy debate on the best ways to elevate the women in science, their conclusions reinforce the traditional patriarchal, biased scientific structure that stimulates a poorly diversified hierarchical chain in STEM. Here we highlight the study's methodological weaknesses and major issues that must be addressed to avoid the perpetuation of gender disparity in science.

Why we shouldn’t blame women for gender disparity in academia: perspectives of women in zoology

“…Within the context of STEM, we point out some relevant issues that went unnoticed by the reviewers and editor of Nature Communications (or were dismissed during the reviewing process) and discuss why we believe that the findings of AlShebli et al (2020) should not be used for reviewing diversity policies in STEM. Other criticisms and comments on the same work are available in Deanna et al (2020) and Diele-Viegas et al (2020a, 2020b. Lastly, we bring a perspective of Women in Zoology and how current diversity policies are bringing more gender equality to the field.…”

E-Mentoring Female Underrepresented Public Health Student Researchers: Supporting a More Diverse Postpandemic Workforce

“…11 Female mentors of underrepresented ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds can help students cultivate essential skills that their training fails to teach them, such as navigating institutional barriers and negotiating pay. 12 Gaining practical experience outside the classroom enables underrepresented individuals to be more competitive candidates for opportunities at large organizations and prestigious institutions, such as the World Health Organization, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the US National Institutes of Health. 13 The status associated with working in such organizations or attending certain universities, while not necessarily important, may further cement the reputability of the public health field in the eyes of immigrant parents.…”