Women are under-represented in physics, and face many additional hurdles in their careers compared with men, such as sexism, harassment and unequal opportunities. Here, we highlight the amazing work of current female physicists, the latest news and studies on gender inequality, and women from history whose significant contributions are often glossed over.
Equity and opportunity for women in physics
Attention all allies: why there are so few women in science and how you can help
Isabel Rabey reviews Not Just For the Boys: Why We Need More Women in Science by Athene Donald
Physics is something that girls fancy
Jess Wade says that recent high-profile comments that girls don’t like physics perpetuate false gender stereotypes and limit young people’s aspirations
How to create a conference environment that welcomes everyone
Caroline Müllenbroich and Sarah Croke describe how they supported under-represented groups at the Conference for Undergraduate Women and Non-bina...
Surveys and studies
Read article: Only 12% of prize recipients for awards named after male scientists are women, finds study
Only 12% of prize recipients for awards named after male scientists are women, finds study
Scientific awards can impact career progression, making them an important focus for tackling gender bias
Read article: Improving soft skills crucial to keeping women in science, finds study
Improving soft skills crucial to keeping women in science, finds study
Early-career women in science who spend time developing their “soft skills” see a boost in their self-confidence and likelihood to stay in work
Read article: Citing like it’s 1995: why women physicists find their papers referenced less
Citing like it’s 1995: why women physicists find their papers referenced less
Analysis shows that general physics journals have the largest citation gap between men and women in physics
Read article: Female academics migrate shorter distances and to fewer countries than men, finds study
Female academics migrate shorter distances and to fewer countries than men, finds study
Analysis suggests that the gender gap among mobile scholars is narrowing
Read article: Women less likely to be included as authors on scientific papers, finds study
Women less likely to be included as authors on scientific papers, finds study
Effect seen at every stage of a woman’s career and may help to account for differences in the observed output of male and female scientists
Read article: Lab gender roles not due to personal choice, finds study
Lab gender roles not due to personal choice, finds study
Male and female task preferences for experimental work are largely the same despite what is seen in the lab
Women working in physics today
Great female physicists of the past
Meteorites and magnetostrophic mathematics reveal unsung scientific heroes of the past
In this podcast we celebrate the applied mathematician Donna Elbert and a forgotten Black student who found a unique meteorite
Hertha Ayrton: pioneering inventor and suffragette
Anita Chandran explores the remarkable life of Hertha Ayrton – a physicist, mathematician, engineer, inventor and suffragette whose work benefitted the lives of many
Explore more women in physics
Read article: Journey to the stars: the personal stories of women in astronomy
Journey to the stars: the personal stories of women in astronomy
Karel Green reviews The Sky Is For Everyone: Women Astronomers In Their Own Words edited by Virginia Trimble and David A Weintraub
Read article: Merritt Moore: the physicist and ballet dancer mixing science and art using robots and dance
Merritt Moore: the physicist and ballet dancer mixing science and art using robots and dance
Merritt Moore explains how she combines her two passions – quantum physics and professional ballet
Read article: From cosmic rays to cardiology
From cosmic rays to cardiology
Data scientist and artificial-intelligence researcher Azadeh Keivani on physics in healthcare, co-founding an educational non-profit organization and her work in outreach
Read article: World Quantum Day: in conversation with quantum physicist Leni Bascones
World Quantum Day: in conversation with quantum physicist Leni Bascones
Leni Bascones talks to Faye Holst about her work with quantum materials
Read article: Uncovering the hidden history of codebreaker Emily Anderson
Uncovering the hidden history of codebreaker Emily Anderson
Kate Gardner reviews Queen of Codes: the Secret Life of Emily Anderson, Britain’s Greatest Female Codebreaker by Jackie Uí Chionna
Read article: Levelling up: from student to mentor to trainee physics teacher
Levelling up: from student to mentor to trainee physics teacher
Ellie Whitehall describes her move from student to teacher in physics, reflecting on her experiences of education
Read article: Eileen Collins, NASA astronaut: commanding missions and making history
Eileen Collins, NASA astronaut: commanding missions and making history
Andrew Glester reviews Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars: the Story of the First American Woman to Command a Space Mission by Eileen M Collins with Jonathan H Ward
Read article: From tech fear to tech leader: a step-by-step guide
From tech fear to tech leader: a step-by-step guide
Kate Gardner reviews She’s in CTRL: How Women Can Take Back Tech by Anne-Marie Imafidon
Read article: A journey of joy and uncertainty in physics
A journey of joy and uncertainty in physics
Joyful Mdhluli describes the joy that a career in physics brings, even after hitting rock bottom during her PhD
Read article: Lia Merminga: directing the future of Fermilab
Lia Merminga: directing the future of Fermilab
Lia Merminga, director of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in the US, on accelerator science, the future of particle physics and being the first woman in her new role
Read article: Freya Blekman: on the particle pathway of big science
Freya Blekman: on the particle pathway of big science
Experimental physicist Freya Blekman talks to Tushna Commissariat about the joy of working on big science collaborations
Read article: ‘I see a piece of myself in every student that I’ve mentored, and we motivate each other’ – Wen-fai Fong on supporting the next generation of astronomers
‘I see a piece of myself in every student that I’ve mentored, and we motivate each other’ – Wen-fai Fong on supporting the next generation of astronomers
Wen-fai Fong talks to Rob Lea about shaping the future of astronomy
Read article: ‘Look happy dear, you’ve just made a discovery’
‘Look happy dear, you’ve just made a discovery’
Sarah Tesh and Jess Wade describe Jocelyn Bell Burnell’s highs and lows, as revealed in her recent IOP President’s Medal lecture
Read article: Helen Edwards: pioneer of Fermilab’s Tevatron
Helen Edwards: pioneer of Fermilab’s Tevatron
Helen Edwards was a formidable force in the field of accelerator science. Anita Chandran finds out more about her contributions to particle physics
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