Women in Neuroscience: A Short Time Travel

Metitieri, Tiziana; Mele, Sonia

About half of graduate and postgraduate students and one-third of faculty in the field of neuroscience are women. The proportion of women neuroscientists tend to decrease as they progress through the career ladder. Their responsibilities and their opportunities to secure research funding also tend to be lower compared to men, as in most scientific disciplines and professions. The multiple factors contributing to the under-representation of women in higher-level roles have historical, social, and cultural roots. A process of forgetfulness of pioneer women from the last century prevented the field from having role models in which upcoming generations of women neuroscientists could have identified. Maria Manasseina, Cécile Vogt, Augusta Dejerine Klumpke are only some early pioneers who have recently been rediscovered. The available data show that the profiles of women neuroscientists are overlooked and their remarkable findings receive less recognition. Conscious and unconscious gender biases also affect the evaluation and recruitment process. The presence of cultural and institutional barriers continues to hinder equal opportunities in all aspects of the scientific and academic career. The initiatives launched so far to increase awareness of such barriers and diversity in the workplace have produced a slight improvement but further action should be taken and supported to improve the condition of women in neuroscience.