Obstacles may contribute to women scientists' experience of their work environments as negative, and such climates have been linked to negative job outcomes, including decreased satisfaction and attrition. Research has shown that voice is important to women's well-being and that procedural justice, including voice, moderates outcomes of negative workplace experiences.

The cultural stereotype of the scientist is both consistent with gender-normative prescriptions for men (e.g., objective, rational, single-minded) and inconsistent with prescribed norms for women. Source: Settles, Isis et al. (2007)."Voice Matters: Buffering the impact of a negative climate in science." Psychology of Women Quarterly. Vol.31:3. 270-281.

Lower job satisfaction leads to turnover. Gender discrimination and sexual harassment have a significant negative impact on women's overall attitudes toward employment. Positive climate correlates to greater productivity. Source: Settles et al (2006). "The Climate for women in academic science: The good, the bad and the changeable." Psychology of Women Quarterly. Vol. 30. p. 47-58.

Often, no one is readily available to assist [women faculty] in gaining access to informational networks and organizational systems required for success. Source: Rios, A. & Longoim, J. (2000). Executive summary. "Agenda for the 21st century." Minneapolis: National Initiative for Women in Higher Education.

Many women in the science and engineering disciplines find it necessary to make difficult life choices such as waiting post-tenure to have children or deciding not to have children.  Source: Tracy, K.B. (1998). From our readers: Women in Science: The myth of "Having it all." Equity and Excellence in Education. (32) p.68-72.

Women interrupted their careers for spousal employment more than three times more than for maternity or childbearing reasons. Source: JSTOR. Journal of Higher Education, Vol (63)3, p369-81. 

Although many women put off childbearing until later in their career, the very fact that they can have children impacts their selection chances as an administrator.  Source: Degregoria, (1988).

A dual standard is evident in many areas. Marriage is seen as positive for a male administrator and negative for a female, resulting in only 43.7 % of women administrators being married versus 87.8% of men.  Source: Eric Document 401 252. Irby, Beverly and Brown, Genevieve.(1995). "Women as School Executives." Dallas, TX: Texas Council of School Administrators. p. 96. (1988).

35 % of female faculty said they had "fewer children than I wanted" compared to 16 % of men; 13 % of women said they "stayed single because of my career" in contrast to 6 % of men.  Female academics with children worked 52 hours per week compared to female professors without children who worked 60 hours per week. Source: "The Mommy Trap." Diverse Issues in Higher Education. (22) 16 p. 10. September 22, 2005.

Women often face an inhospitable environment where they are underpaid, do not have equal access to resources at the University, feel increasingly marginalized, and are excluded from any substantive power within the University. Source: "Persistent Gender Issues at MIT." [More]

Changing the culture of departments and institutions will not suffice to eliminate bias and institutional constraints on women's careers unless institutions confront and resolve the issues raised by child and family responsibilities. Interruptions as a result of work life imbalance in women's careers at the twin points of peak academic output and peak reproductive years have not been factored into institutional vision or model of faculty's performance.  Source: National Academies Press. "Beyond Bias and Barriers," (2007). p.225

In recent years, research on women faculty has also focused on many additional topics highlighted in the following subsections. [More]

• Dual Career Families and Work-Life Balance
• Student Evaluations of Women Faculty