| “Research institutes must ... recognize that female postdoctoral fellows still face dilemmas that are universally shared by women throughout the workplace ...” (Ledin et al., EMBO Reports, Vol. 8, No. 11, 2007, 977-981).
“Removing structural barriers to women’s success in the laboratory should be the minimal prerequisite to determining appropriate goals for female representation in science” (Editorial, Nature Neuroscience, Vol. 9, No. 7, July 2006, 853).
IBRO recognizes the significant challenge faced by women scientists through gender bias across the world, particularly in countries where religion, politics and tradition have created many gender barriers. IBRO aims to launch a new programme, “Women in World Neuroscience”, and has set up a Working Group to probe and assess the current situation for women neuroscientists.
IBRO President Albert Aguayo set in motion the initiative and invited Prof. Judy Illes (Professor of Neurology and Canada Research Chair in Neuroethics for the National Core for Neuroethics, University of British Columbia, Canada) to head the Working Group.
Profs. Illes and Aguayo describe the remit of the Working Group as one that seeks “to find ways to raise public awareness as well as assist and mentor women neuroscientists worldwide.” Prof. Illes acknowledges that IBRO has been active in many regions of the world where gender bias exists and is thus in a good position to formulate proposals and create alliances with similar organizations.* Once the Working Group has agreed a mission, structure and initial actions, they will make recommendations to IBRO’s Executive Committee and Governing Council for the creation of a new programme.
The Working Group welcome comments from the IBRO membership on the subject of women in neuroscience and implications for the future. Correspondence may be addressed to Prof. Illes or any of the members of the Working Group, as set out below:
Judy Illes, Chair (Canada) (jilles@interchange.ubc.ca)
Viji Ravindranath (India) (vijir@vsnl.com)
Eliane Volchan (Brazil) (evolchan@biof.ufrj.br)
Eva Sykova (Czech Republic) (Sykova@biomed.cas.cz)
Rita Balice-Gordon (USA) (rbaliceg@mail.med.upenn.edu)
*Women in science web sites include:
• Society for Neuroscience, Committee on Women in Neuroscience (C-WIN) (http://sfn.org/index.cfm?pagename=committee_C_WIN)
• Association for Women in Science (AWIS) (http://www.awis.org)
• Third World Organization of for Women in Science (TWOWS) (http://twows.ictp.it) |
Quick Links 
