A time warp of 1970s sexist attitudes is driving women in their late thirties from careers in science and technology and undermining key sectors of the economy, according to an international study.
Researchers claim to have discovered a “hidden brain drain” as women opt out when facing a choice between family life and pushing for promotion at work.
The majority choose their children and alternative careers instead of struggling with the hurdles of a macho “lab coat culture” with long hours, old boys’ networks and the risk of sexual harassment.
Women have choices! Quick, stamp it out!
I struggle to take seriously any report that refers to a “macho lab coat culture” .
The authors have probably discovered the effects of the fact that scientific careers are particularly badly effected by having time out of work, because skills become antiquated so quickly.
For all the talk about men discriminating against women in engineering fields, I’ve never seen a single example of it in practice. We get the occasional woman come through in a technical position in Sakhalin, and we had a few in the Middle East, and their gender was never an issue.