Negotiating a career in physics: Early stages in India

Abstract

Abstract:In this work we discuss anecdotal evidence of social biases and prejudices that may form barriers in building a successful career for women in physics. We discuss the opportunities that exist, and how to use them for career advancement. This work is written for the Special Issue entitled Proceedings of The First Regional Conference for Women in Physics (RCWP-2016), 25-27 April, 2016, Islamabad, Pakistan. To connect with the theme, this paper is based on India, a nation geopolitically close, and where the author's early career in physics was shaped.Key words: women in physics, physics in India, education for girls, female role models in physics, physics outreach.Résumé : Nous discutons ici de témoignages anecdotiques de biais sociaux et de préjudices qui pourraient créer des barrières à la réussite d'une carrière pour une femmes en physique. Nous regardons les opportunités qui existent et comment les utiliser pour faire avancer une carrière. Cet article est écrit pour le compte rendu de la « Première Conférence pour les Femmes en Physique » au Pakistan. Afin d'introduire le sujet, l'article est basé sur l'Inde, une nation géopolitiquement proche, où la jeune carrière de l'auteur s'est développée. [Traduit par la Rédaction]Mots-clés : femmes en physique, la physique aux Indes, modèles exemplaires féminins en physique, la portée de la physique. IntroductionIf we follow the story of Marie Curie's (1867-1934) life, we find manifest examples of gender discrimination, which affected her career path in physics. However, these did not deter her from research work, and she was recognized by the community with two Nobel Prizes [1,2]. Examples of instances of manifest bias from her life are (i) she was not accepted into the University of Warsaw, and she had to leave her own country, Poland, for higher studies in France; and (ii) in 1911, Curie, a Nobel Laureate was denied admission into the French Academy of Sciences, and was told that "Women cannot be part of the Institute of France". About 100 years later, and a very vocal and alert feminist polity later, we still have biases and prejudices, most of which have societal origins. In most "official" academic institutions, equal opportunities have been implemented in paper policies. We are discussing how to improve the workplace environment for women, and acquire recognition for women's work. It seems opportunities exist; we have to find best practices of their implementation.Unlike physics, where quantification and precision of data, or mathematical structures provide the basis for analysis and conclusions, the sociology of a situation is difficult to describe using precise measurements. Statistical data are one way to assess a social parameter, but anecdotal evidence is also symptomatic of social patterns. Causation and remedies can emerge from individual experiences. In this brief article we discuss the ways prejudices and biases in a largely patriarchal way of living may discourage us from utilizing opportunities for careers in physics, gleaned from an individua...