WOMEN IN PHYSICS: The IUPAP International Conference on Women in Physics

IUPAP International Conference on Women in Physics

Beverly Karplus Hartline, Heritage University, Toppenish, WA, USA ; Dongqi Li, Argonne National Laboratory, Materials Science Division, Argonne, IL, USA

Conference Location and Date: Paris, France, 7-9 March 2002

Published September 2002; ISBN 0-7354-0074-1 One Volume, Print; 272 pages; 8.5 X 11 inches, single column; Softcover; $85.00

Readership: All audiences are international. Women physicists (and related scientific/engineering specialties); international physical society leadership, university presidents, deans and chairs of physics and other science and engineering departments; science libraries, sociologists, university students and faculties; research institute directors; industrial managers; policy makers in governments; funding agencies; scientific societies.

It takes women in some countries on average 10 years longer than their male colleagues to advance to the rank of professor. A distinguished university discovered its women professors are consistently given less laboratory and office space and are paid less than their male colleagues. These were the results of two studies delivered at the March 2002 Women in Physics Conference, organized by the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP). Speakers from every region of the world described the barriers facing women physicists today, and some 300 attendees discussed the actions that must be taken to overcome them. The primary purpose of the International Conference on Women in Physics was to understand the severe under-representation of women worldwide and to develop strategies to increase their participation and impact in physics. The Working Group conducted an international benchmarking study on issues concerning women in physics and invited a team of physicists from each country to attend the conference and develop a brief report on the situation in their country. Readers will find in this volume the survey report, invited presentations, wonderfully diverse contributions from across the globe, and a set of eight concrete resolutions directed at academic, industry, government, and research institutions. This work provides a fascinating snapshot of the issues and challenges facing women physicists today as well as clear calls for specific remedial actions.

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