A talk I gave in 2014 at the 20th anniversary of AWISE, held at Cambridge University. The talk traced the progress of women in STEM initiatives over a 20 year period, catalysed by the government Rising Tide report.

1. UK Women in SET Policy and
Progress 2014
Tides, storm surges and sea levels
Jan Peters PhD
www.Katalytik.co.uk

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1993
• A small step for science policy but a giant step
for women in science
“Women are the single most undervalued
and underused resource”
(1993 Realising our potential)
The catalyst for The Rising Tide report
Driven by a small but powerful voice: Dr Nancy J Lane

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UK Milestones
1993
Realising Our Potential
-White Paper
1994
Rising Tide
published
1994
Development Unit
for
Women in SET
1999
ATHENA launch
2000
Statistics
Website
2002
Max returns
launch
2003
SET Fair
report
2004
UK Resource Centre
for women in SET
2007
ATHENA legacy
2005
RETURN
Campaign
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3
1998
UK Presidency
of EU

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CLIMATE CHANGE
Post 2007

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Belief
• Evidence to define the problem and specify action.
or
• Building the case to take it beyond being a “women’s
problem”

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THE TIDES
The regular ebb and flow of the oceans

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Good practice guides and initiatives

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Career management

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Leadership and decision making

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Statistics

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Global attention

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UK STORM SURGE?

13. The UKRC
• To increase the participation and position of women in
science, engineering and technology employment across
industry, academia and public services in the UK

14. Other initiatives
• Linking research funding to SWAN Silver
• Gender in research: FP6, FP7 and Horizons
2020

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CLIMATE CHANGE

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Action
Driven by volunteers, delivered
by volunteers, supported by
policy makers
Driven by policy makers,
delivered by educators
and employers, supported
by volunteers

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UNCONSCIOUS BIAS EXISTS IN
BOTH SEXES, ABOUT THE
INFERIORITY OF THE
(INTELLECTUAL) ABILITIES OF
FEMALES
Virginia Valian, author, “Why so slow ?” 1998

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COGNITIVE BIAS: UNCONSCIOUS
ERRORS OF REASONING THAT
DISTORT OUR JUDGMENT OF THE
WORLD
Daniel Kahneman, New York Times
2011

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The immediate challenges
• Beyond equality and diversity
– Building an inclusive workforce - starting with
apprenticeship courses and undergraduates
• Making strong, heart felt connections
between girls, science and its impact for
society
• Cracking 15% professors in the life sciences

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WHY SO SLOW?