Women in science are battling both Covid-19 and the patriarchy

Women are not underprivileged in the very PC world of academia. The opposite is true and has been for a long time. If you are too weak and cowardly to do the job for which you are well paid, then move aside in favor of someone else. We are in a time of crisis. Do the job or resign.

I'm always sad to hear from people who feel that they are hard-done-by.... but at the far side of 60 with a career that spans software & web development, teaching in FE and now the delight of having slithered into academic life I've never found that the fact I happen to be female has ever been a barrier to doing what I want. However, I may be an odd-ball. My role-models are people who have done things that I aspire to do myself, not people who are physically like me, however successful.

I'm so grateful for your article! It exactly describes much of my experience. Women being assigned admin and data gathering tasks, being left out of calls between men discussing work ideas. Ive twice recently suggested research ideas and got the reaction - 'that's a good idea, why doesn't Paul lead that' even though i am at the same job level as Paul. I can think of more ideas but it's sooo annoying and tiring. Thank you so much for making me feel not alone.

Thank you for the article. I see this my field too (also STEM). I see also the tendency for women to be asked to take on administratively heavy duties during this time of emergency planning, it does feel like a relentless battle on all fronts, home and work, emotional and practical. I currently work closely with several senior (male) colleagues. They are the figureheads for the work while the thinking, planning and managing and execution of projects fall to me. When I've suggested it would be better (and in my head I'm thinking *more honest*) for me to officially take the lead, since I have the knowledge and the contacts, there is always some vague excuse to do with 'right now it's better this way for this ambiguous reason'. Structural injustice exists and dominant systems protect themselves. I like and admire these colleagues, but I also recognise that they're products (as we all are) of a societal system that has a stubborn tendency to default to using archetypes to decide competencies, rather than actual, well, competencies.

These men are no worse than the women in the world of children who keep men at arm's length and limited in their participation. Where are the male workers in maternity wards, daycare, kindergarten...and other "old girls'" realms. Hiring gaps are proof of discrimination. “A Comprehensive Look at Gender Equality: The Doctrinaire Institute for Women's Policy Research” https://malemattersusa.wordpress.com/2012/02/16/the-doctrinaire-institute-for-womens-policy-research/