We live in interesting times. Both South and North experiencing extreme weather.   Usually it is the southern hemisphere where people are losing homes through bush-fires, but this year people in the south of England had a rude awakening as large areas were flooded, and people lost homes.

Whether or not one subscribes to a belief in global warming, it would seem at least respectful to take account of the environment, as in James Lovelock's Gaia theory.  A marriage of Art and Science since his friend, the novelist William Golding, suggested the title, Gaia.

Gaia the Goddess of Earth is a fitting introduction for this newssheet, as International Women's Day is fast approaching; and it is heartening to see it given even more prominence here this year. 

http://www.internationalwomensday.com

 This gives what is happening globally and it seems as if this year UK is catching up, it is interesting to compare countries.

Back in April 2011 the amazing previous president of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, visited the UK. Appointed by Kofi Annan as the representative for UN Women, she came to establish UN Women in the UK.

"For every $1 given to a woman in the developing world, 90% goes to her family. The similar figure for a man is 40%. Women tend to use money to pay for their children's education and to buy food."

Jane Martinson, then President of Women in Journalism (WIJ) asked:

"Where's the money for UN Women?

Teresa May, the Home Secretary, said there were few better investments than investing in women last night at a cheery launch party for UN Women in the UK. Women would be at the centre of the Coalition's development efforts, she said. People cheered, there was even a song. So why won't the Government commit any money to it?

UN Women has been up and running since January 1, 2011.  What's more, its creation, from the remnants of four separate bureaucracies in the UN, was years in the making and the UK Government, under a different leadership admittedly, was one of its biggest backers. The UK is still on the executive committee. What's going on?"  17th May 2011

When Michelle resigned the post in March 2014, the media reported her resignation as, "Bachelet quits the post of UN Women's representative".

Urban Myths

This feeds into the current "urban myth", that women can't hack it.  The job is too hard. They failed to mention that she needed to leave as she was standing for the office of President of Chile, which she won a second time.  Powerful women don't usually get a friendly press.  Helen Clark, ex- Premier of New Zealand, spoke about this while she was here for the Women of the Year Lecture. 

Unfortunately missed, since I was connecting with the pavement at Charing Cross (not the kind of connecting I'm recommending).  Interesting evening in A & E at St. Thomas's.  Bravo to the Doctors and nurses.

Another interesting evening at Wannabe Hacks and Women in Journalism.

"So you wanna be a journalist?"

Fantastic successful women in all fields of journalism; from print to broadcasting to social media, chaired by Kay Burley of Sky News.

Women can't handle power?

The City does have The Power Woman in its Lord Mayor.

Soon to be interviewed for WATC. Watch this space.

As to the demands of family, childcare provision and parental leave could make it easier, and a better and more equitable society, using the talent of all the people.  Yet even amongst journalists women get on with the job, women journalists at the heart of war, both from UK and Australia.  Yet they still go out into the field. One of the most notable being the journalist Alex Crawford.

"Her four children ask why she can't work at their school but Alex Crawford, the award winning Sky News reporter, said on Saturday it was offensive and sexist to even ask whether female war correspondents could juggle motherhood and frontline journalism."  27/08/12 Guardian. 

Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell

"I have certainly done extremely well out of not getting the Nobel.  The Nobel happened at the time when feminism was growing up.  So I've been carried on a wave of feminism and a wave of sympathy.  I've got every other prize that's moved since, so I've not done badly."

I first realized women were treated differently at 18 months!  I was the eldest child, my brother was born 18 months after me.  My parents were very even handed, but there were comments from others, "It's so wonderful that Mrs. Bell's had a son."  It was a typical mindset in Northern Ireland at that time; just one of the facts of life.

Image courtesy of University of Bath

One of the very interesting things to study is the proportion of women astronomers when looking around the world.  It varies significantly.  The English speaking countries all cluster below the world average.  The country that tops the table is Argentina, 37% of its astronomers are female, and at the bottom is Japan at 6%.  It's fascinating as to why there is this range.  There is no one reason; different cultures have different aspects on what's appropriate for women to do.

At the same time the ICT, Energy and Green industries are all saying, "Look, we're heading up for an enormous skill shortage in the very near future."  Somehow they need to keep the women who tend to leave soon after graduation.  

Interestingly the NHS, because it's now dominated by women, has developed a lot of part time working, flexible working and job share.  That's an entirely respectable way of working.   Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) have yet to do that.  They're saying, "We can't do it", but they probably said that in the NHS at one point.

There have been all sorts of initiatives, many, many initiatives.  They have usually been started by women almost out of necessity, and they don't always last.  Usually because the key woman moves on or something, and the initiatives are limited and isolated, not linked to other ones.  One of the things we're keen to see in Scotland, in this Strategy for Women in Science, is that initiatives are joined up and that there is a Government Level Strategy, so that they reinforce each other and can be assessed to see what works and what doesn't.

It would've been nice to have had a role model or a mentor.  I have had neither and it's been lonely at times.  It helps if you know what you want to do; if you're swithering a bit you can be put off by obstacles.  However, to some extent obstacles help to sort your priority.

I have no role models for today, because I didn't have any when I was a younger woman.  I don't think in that way.   Although I do observe other women from my generation, particularly in my area of science, to see how they have or haven't coped.  Most of us have had it tough.

Most of the way, I've opened the doors myself.  Well, I wouldn't be here if I didn't have determination and know who I was.  Because there were so few women in my field, I have been the only woman most of my life, or at least the most senior woman in a place. 

You can read a further extract of the interview with Prof Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell in the Archive.