Achieving equity between women and men in the geosciences

Results from an extensive survey of women and men geoscience faculty member s in the United States show that sex-based inequalities remain in the geosc iences in three areas: (1) a higher proportion of women are in temporary, n ontenure-track positions, (2) women have different publishing strategies th an men, and (3) women's dual-career-couple status and their roles as mother s affect their career progress negatively. Generational differences within sexes (and similarities between men and women of the same rank or generatio n) are pronounced in terms of factors that influenced the respondents' fiel ds of study and those that cause frustrations with research, Although women geoscientists have not yet attained full equity in the workplace, gender s imilarities suggest that men and women can have the same appreciation and f rustrations with the research process and academic setting. To address exis ting gender inequities in the geosciences, (1) universities need to emphasi ze the hiring of women into faculty positions, (2) departments and senior f aculty should provide strong and appropriate support to aid junior women as well as junior men faculty with the tenure process, and (3) university adm inistrations should confront the situation of dual-career couples by develo ping policies to deal with these situations effectively.