Women In Technology - Friday Links - 16/06/2023

Hello everyone, 

It’s Friday!  This week, we celebrate the Grève féministe (Feminist Strike) for gender equality that took place across Switzerland on Wednesday.   We also take a look at Father’s Day from a feminist perspective, and share some good news on the status of 25 by '25 .  And of course, we bring you a selection of upcoming WIT events and some job opportunities for students and early career professionals!   Spread the word and share with your colleagues!

Have a nice weekend!

Kate, for WIT SC

Photo: @grevefeministegeneve 

Fortes et fières et en colère! 

Wednesday, June 14, was the Grève féministe (Feminist Strike) in Switzerland.  300 000 people gathered across the country to protest gender inequality!  This year’s theme was: du respect, du temps, de l’argent (respect, time, money):

• Social and financial revaluation of women’s labour 
• More time and financial compensation for caregiving
• Respect in the workplace: no to sexism and sexual violence!

Some statistics on the situation in Switzerland, from https://www.14juin.ch/faire-greve-pour-des-salaires-equitables/:

• Women’s income is, on average, 43.2% lower than men’s.
• Women continue to perform more unpaid domestic and caregiving work: 60% of their total working time is unpaid, vs. 40% for men.
• Switzerland ranks 38th of 41 wealthy countries in terms of its investment in childcare.

A few related links on the topic of gender inequality: 

• Un quiz interactif pour débusquer les inégalités (RTS).  An interactive quiz on gender inequality (in French).
• How did patriarchy actually begin? (Angela Saini, for the BBC)  "As daunting as the struggle against patriarchy may feel at times, though, there is nothing in our nature that says we can't live differently. A society made by humans can also be remade by humans.”  Some of you may remember science journalist Angela Saini’s fascinating talk at CERN last year.  This essay is based on her latest book, The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule.  
• The LERU conference: After #MeToo - Sexism and sexual harassment in academia took place in Geneva last year.  The proceedings of the conference are now available here.  

25 by ’25

Our colleagues from CERN’s Diversity and Inclusion Programme have shared some encouraging news on the progress towards gender equality at CERN!  Since the 25 by ’25 initiative was launched in March of 2021:

• Percentage of women among MPE new arrivals in 2022:  27.7% (up from 20.2% in 2018)
• Percentage of women among STEM new arrivals in 2022: 23.3%  (up from 15.5% in 2018)

Let’s keep up the good work!

The D&I team has also prepared a single slide on 25 by ’25, with a concise summary of:  the strategy, key milestones, and the latest gender diversity data.  Please see the attachment for all the details!

Father’s Day

Sunday, June 18 is Father’s Day in many countries.  In honour of all the supportive dads out there, here are some stories to celebrate!

• Six ways fathers can inspire their daughters in technology (Forbes).  "My dad valued my ideas, and I was always part of the process. Not everything I built worked right the first time, but my dad encouraged me to keep at it. Now I feel like I can approach any problem.”  
• How to be a feminist dad (LeanIn).  "Feminist dads raise happier, healthier, and more successful kids. Both sons and daughters benefit when they're raised as equals.”
• A fresh look at paternity leave: why the benefits extend beyond the personal (McKinsey).  "Fathers who take leave help their partners, their families, and themselves. In this era of employee mental-health challenges, companies should take notice.”

Events

• LIVE IT Talk - Creating inclusive workplaces: Unlocking the potential of diversity, inclusion, and equity for innovation.  Today at 16:00.  This Live Q&A is dedicated to a discussion on how creating inclusive workplaces empowers ideas, innovation and well-being, and thus directly supports our objective of attracting and retaining a more diverse talent pool. It will be led by a prominent researcher in the field, Caroline Simard.  The event will be held on Zoom only and will be recorded.
• WIT Lunch: Monday, June 19 at 12:00 in R1.  Bring your own lunch, and join us for some friendly and stimulating conversation!  We’ll try to find a table outside, weather permitting, so look for the WIT logo!  We’ll share our exact location on our Mattermost channel.    
• Digital Accessibility Workshop (organised by IT, FAP, and Web Team): June 26 at 9:30.  Aimed at technical and non-technical people alike, we will be looking at the state of play at CERN, what's in the pipeline, and what YOU can do to make your online text and interfaces more accessible in a wider range of situations, as well as for people who use assistive technologies to access information online.
• WIT Talk with the Fermilab Society of Women Engineers: Thursday, June 29 at 16:00 (Zoom only).  We will have the opportunity to meet members of fSWE and learn more about their mission, activities, plans. We will also have the chance to discuss possible synergies between fSWE and CERN's WIT.

Jobs

Several of CERN’s career programmes are currently accepting applications!  To learn more about these programmes and apply, visit https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CERN/.  Please share with interested candidates in your networks!

• Early Career Professionals (University Graduates, Technical, and Support Services).  Deadline: July 3.
• Doctoral Student Programme.  Deadline: July 31.
• Technical Student Programme.  Deadline: July 31.
• Administrative Student Programme.  Deadline: July 31.