The experiences of women vary on an individual level and from field to field. Bloch recalled the support she received when she joined the history faculty 10 years ago. The department already had three women faculty. The American section of history, her area of specialization, was dominated by women. Gender unfairness is less of an issue on the laboratory floor than in hiring, Byers said.
Scientists are pretty goal-oriented.
Who has done it is less significant than what was done. Although the passing of Proposition 209 prohibits the university from considering gender in hiring, Vice Chancellor Raymond Paredes emphasized the importance of diversifying the applicant pool by the process of recruitment. The vice chancellor's office distributes statistics to the departments indicating underrepresentation of women. It advises departments to take a diverse pool of faculty applicants in the hiring process. Monitoring the ethnic and gender composition of the faculty allows the office to investigate inquiries into discrimination if they should arise, said Paredes.