Summary Resolution on Enhancing the Role
of Women in Physics
Preamble
Physics plays a key role
in understanding the world we live in, and physicists contribute
strongly to the welfare and economic development of nations. The
knowledge and problem-solving skills of physicists are essential in
many professions and industries and to society at large. To thrive
in today's fast-changing, technological world, every country must
achieve a highly educated population of women and men, fully engaged
in making decisions important to their well being. Knowledge of
physics is thus an important part of general literacy for every
citizen. In addition, advancing physics understanding is an exciting
intellectual challenge that benefits from the diverse and
complementary approaches taken by both women and men from many
cultures.
Women can and do contribute to this quest and, through physics
to the welfare of humankind
but only in small numbers: women are an underutilized intellectual
reserve. Only when women participate fully as researchers in the
laboratory, as scientific leaders and teachers, and as policy makers
will they be equal partners in a technological society. Studies by
Governments, Academies, major Universities, and many Physical
Societies have shown that this is not the case today.
To examine the problem,
and make recommendations on its amelioration, IUPAP convened an
International Conference on Women in Physics. It took place in
Paris, France, 7-9 March 2002, and was attended by over 300
physicists from 65 countries. The conferees examined the issues in
depth and generated a set of resolutions aimed at establishing fully
equal opportunity for success in physics independent of gender
The members of IUPAP, believing that it is important to physics to bring
more women into its mainstream
leadership, endorse the resolutions adopted unanimously by the first
International Conference on Women in Physics. Specifically, IUPAP
urges that:
Primary and
Secondary Schools should have policies and procedures that give
the same opportunities and encouragement to the study of physics by
girls and boys
Colleges
and Universities should: ensure
that their policies and procedures give female and male students
equal opportunities for success, and ensure
that their policies and procedures are such that female and male
faculty and staff are, through transparent policies, treated with
equity with respect to recruitment, promotion, teaching schedules,
research facilities, and roles in governance. Research
Institutes and Industry should ensure that policies are adopted
and enforced regarding gender equity in recruitment and promotion to
all levels.
Scientific
and Professional Societies should foster gender equity by having
an identified group examining policies and procedures, making
available statistics on the participation of women in physics at all
levels, identifying leading women physicists and promoting them as
role models, including women on program committees and as speakers
at meetings and conferences, and including women in society
governance. National
Governments should ensure that women have the same access and
opportunity as men in research and advanced teaching, that women are
included on national planning and review committees, and that funds
are awarded only to organizations that have policies of gender
equity. Funding
Agencies should ensure that there is no gender bias in the broad
based general grant funding process, that competitions are open and
widely publicized, that criteria for funding are clear, and that
women are included on review and decision making committees. Limits
on age of eligibility or grant duration that seriously disadvantage
applicants taking family leave should be reconsidered. Statistics
should be made available giving by gender the proportion of
successful applicants. All Institutions
should note that family oriented policies
and practices
such as flexible work schedules, opportunities for dual career families,
and the availability of child care facilities have been demonstrated
to increase the opportunities for Women in all fields of science and
technology. All institutions should reexamine their practices in
this area. It
is further resolved that IUPAP’s Liaison Committees will
transmit the report of the Conference on Women in Physics and the
above resolution to their Adhering Bodies, and that the Secretariat
will transmit it to other Scientific Unions and International
Organizations. Further, the proceedings of the International
Conference on Women in Physics should be made known and widely
available.
The General Assembly
recommends that Adhering Bodies appoint women to Liaison Committees,
that gender be a consideration in nominations to Commissions and the
Council, and expects that IUPAP sponsored conferences have women as
members of their program committees.