House Dem decries sexism in science

A House Democrat is calling on the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and publisher of Science magazine to take a leadership role in addressing the sexism that exists in science.

{mosads}Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) sent a letter to Rush Holt, the head of AAAS, on Tuesday criticizing the number of highly public cases of sexism in sciences that have taken place over the past year.

She cited seven specific instances, one in which Science published a career advise column that told a female postdoc whose advisor kept looking down her shirt to “put up with it, with good humor.”

“At the beginning of the 21st century, while we are in the midst of exploring the solar system, unlocking the human genome and creating ever-more-advanced technology, the demographics and attitudes of scientists and engineers must not be trapped in the 19th century,” Speier said in her letter.

“Women and minorities in science should be able to concentrate on discovery, not on avoiding harassment and defending their very existence in their fields.”