The Covid19 lockdown had a negative impact on the scientific production of women, according to a study promoted by the “Women in Science” working group of the Can Ruti Campus and published by Frontiers in Psychology. Jörg Müller, senior researcher at GenTIC, has co-authored this study in a joint collaboration with researchers from the IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), the Fight Infections Foundation, the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), the Centre for Epidemiological Studies on Sexually Transmitted Infections and AIDS of Catalonia (CEEISCAT), the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal).

 

The research was based on an online survey launched by the Can Ruti “Women in Science” group to monitor the consequences that mobility restrictions could have had on career development, mental health, and well-being of the researchers working on Campus, particularly focusing on the impact it might have on the gender gap. The survey was carried out from July to October 2020 and involved the participation of 147 scientists from the biomedical research field, 80% women and 20% men.

 

Findings showed that, in this period, female scientists submitted a lower number of articles to scientific journals, applied for fewer grants and appeared less as lead authors of published articles compared to men. On the other hand, unrecognized and unpaid academic activities that are perceived as altruistic, such as educational outreach and conducting reviews, were more linked to women than to men. When comparing between women and men with caring responsibilities, differences are increased regarding participation in outreach activities and the feeling of sadness in relation to the gender bias.

 

Read the article in open access in Frontiers in Psychology.

 

Reference:

Izquierdo-Useros, N. [Nuria], Marin Lopez, M. A. [Miguel Ángel], Monguió-Tortajada, M. [Marta], Muñoz-Moreno, J. A. [Jose A.], Agusti Benito, C. [Cristina], Morón-López, S. [Sara], Evans, H. [Harvey], Gualdrón-López, M. [Melisa], Müller, J. [Jörg], & Prado, J. G. [Julia G.] (2022) Impact of COVID-19 lockdown in a biomedical research campus: A gender perspective analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 906072.  https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.906072

 

Related links:

News on the IrsiCaixa website: Less women in scientific production, a reality of the COVID-19 lockdown.

 

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