There are unique challenges and barriers women face in male-dominated science related fields and University of Guelph assistant professor Jennifer Geddes-McAlister is trying to break those barriers.
Geddes-McAlister works in the field of proteomics, the study of proteins which make up the biological system.
She founded Moms in Proteomics to bring mothers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) together and discuss the unique needs and challenges they face.
When looking for speakers, references and reviewers for papers she came across a lot of men, and had trouble finding women, although she knew they were out there.
“I wanted to build a community of women in the field and that are successful and productive,” said Geddes-McAlister.
Some of the members of Moms in Proteomics have said there have been times where they were the only women in their companies, or as a leader in their institute. It made it difficult to express their challenges as the only women. The group helped facilitate conversations about their challenges by discussing them with mothers who are going through the similar things in the science field.
“It was so rewarding to know that there's others out there that they share their successes with and their challenges.”
There are other women who have told Geddes-McAlister they would have pursued a PhD, or have taken a different position if they had more support as mothers.
She said it is difficult for women in the science field to strike a balance between their personal and professional lives.
“Often times there are not a lot of mothers or women especially in sciences in prominent roles.”
She said it is important to highlight and promote women and mothers in STEM, so they are adequately recognized in the field.
Some simple solutions to help mothers are things like not scheduling meetings at 4 p.m. when people pick up their children from school, she suggested.
Geddes-McAlister has two young children Hazel, 8, and Lachlan, 4. She made the decision to start her family while she was pursuing her PhD.
She would like to see a consistent standard of support for women in the workplace in terms of maternity leave, financial support and mentorship.
“Talking about having children as a grad student was very difficult and finding people to talk to about it and ask about it from a female perspective was challenging,” she said.
She said the experience working in a lab in Germany after her PhD studies she had different rules. She was pregnant with her son and six weeks before her due date she wasn’t allowed to be in the lab. There are experiments and chemicals pregnant women can't handle either.
She said it is important to recognize women in the proteomics field are making advances like bringing technology and science into hospitals to help treat patients.
