Women in science are not a 'problem to be fixed'

"The topic of gender equality at work is so important, and I felt that these dynamics, these gender dynamics of who does what and who gets what, discussions about it have been derailed by what I saw as two kind of false visions of gender equality. One is a vision that's put forward by advocates of evolutionary psychology who say we've solved this problem, women and men are just different but equal, evolved to have different values and interests and skills."

"Business case DEI has reframed this great civil rights movement to try and create equality regardless of gender, racial background, or whatever it might be, and reframed it as a problem of how to make more money out of women's labour. The slogan is, gender diversity isn't just the right thing to do, it's good for business, which fundamentally changes the nature of the equality conversation."

Cordelia Fine wrote Patriarchy, Inc to address how gender equality discussions have been sidetracked by two problematic perspectives. Evolutionary psychology advocates argue that gender gaps in leadership, occupations, and income reflect natural differences in preferences and abilities, not discrimination. Simultaneously, business-case diversity, equity, and inclusion frameworks have reframed the civil rights movement for gender equality as a mechanism to profit from women's labor. Fine contends these competing narratives obscure the systemic workplace dynamics that perpetuate gender inequality and prevent meaningful progress toward genuine equality.

Read at Nature