Congratulations to SCOOP member Prof. Belle Derks and board member Prof. Naomi Ellemers for their article published as correspondence in Nature Human Behaviour, “Do not blame ‘queen bees’ for gender inequality in academia.”
Belle and Naomi argue that academia should no longer place the burden of gender equality on the shoulders of successful female academics. Discussing what is known as the ‘queen bee phenomenon’ – the behaviour of women in male-dominated organisations who make the effort to act more “masculine” rather than challenge the status quo – they contend that individual women have been unfairly held accountable for structural disadvantage. They point to some methods for achieving gender equity in academia, such as increased resources, recognition, and greater support for women academics.
You can read the article here.
