Astronomy
American women and men in astronomy are generally safe against personal violence. However, sexual harassment, assault and other forms of misconduct are a continuing problem for men and women, especially against women. Moreover, our sisters elsewhere are subject to state-sponsored, gender-based violence and discrimination that must not be forgotten. It is fitting that April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Universities are not immune to allegations of sexual abuse, including but not restricted to recent high profile cases involving sports coaches and teams. Is this a taboo subject in the astronomical community? I hope not, and was pleased to see that the Yale Women's Faculty Forum, currently led by astronomer Priya Natarajan, was able to increase awareness of and effect change in policies concerning sexual misconduct at Yale. Other universities would benefit from the example of institutional change accomplished by the Yale women described at Change Magazine.
Gender-based assault and violence takes a different and more sinister form in countries whose laws and policies do not give women equal rights. In Iranian courts women are counted as half the worth of men: if a man and a woman receive equal injuries in an automobile accident, the woman receives half the compensation of the man. The testimony of two women in court equals that of one man. Yet women are the majority of law students in Iran. I learned these facts yesterday from Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Shirin Ebadi, who gave a lecture at my university on "Women's Rights in Iran and the Islamic World." She promotes democracy and nonviolence as the necessary force for social change. Dictatorships do not last long, but cultures do.
The U.S. academic culture does not tolerate sexual abuse but there are still victims. The culture promotes equality but there is still inequality. How should we respond? With courage and perseverance, like the examples cited above.
- Gender Equality Campaigns In 2014
Have you heard of the It's On Us or HeForShe campaigns? This year, White House and the United Nations both launched publicity campaigns aimed at encouraging men and women to support gender equality and end sexual assault. These campaigns...
- Sexual Harassment: One Campus's Response
MIT is not on the list of colleges and universities with current or recent sexual violence investigations conducted by the US Departments of Education and Justice. Yet we have sexual violence on our campus and are committed to eliminating it. ...
- June Aas Town Hall: Addressing Sexual Violence On College Campuses (tuesday, June 3, 12:45 Pm)
Content note: This blog post and links within contain discussions of sexual violence which may be triggering to survivors. Our college campuses are not safe spaces. Sexual violence is endemic, with estimates of one in four college women experiencing...
- Addressing The Campus Rape Culture In The Us
Trigger Warning: this blog entry refers to sexual assault on college and university campuses. Unpleasant topics should not always be avoided. Ask any college or university president or provost what her or his top concerns are, and chances are that the...
- Guest Post By Debra Fischer: Harassment Hiding In Plain Sight
Today's guest post is by Debra Fischer, a Professor of Astronomy and head of the exoplanets group at Yale University. We?ve all been witnessing the embarrassing charges of sexual harassment by San Diego mayor, Bob Filner. As the number...
Astronomy
Stop Sexual Assault and Violence
American women and men in astronomy are generally safe against personal violence. However, sexual harassment, assault and other forms of misconduct are a continuing problem for men and women, especially against women. Moreover, our sisters elsewhere are subject to state-sponsored, gender-based violence and discrimination that must not be forgotten. It is fitting that April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Universities are not immune to allegations of sexual abuse, including but not restricted to recent high profile cases involving sports coaches and teams. Is this a taboo subject in the astronomical community? I hope not, and was pleased to see that the Yale Women's Faculty Forum, currently led by astronomer Priya Natarajan, was able to increase awareness of and effect change in policies concerning sexual misconduct at Yale. Other universities would benefit from the example of institutional change accomplished by the Yale women described at Change Magazine.
Gender-based assault and violence takes a different and more sinister form in countries whose laws and policies do not give women equal rights. In Iranian courts women are counted as half the worth of men: if a man and a woman receive equal injuries in an automobile accident, the woman receives half the compensation of the man. The testimony of two women in court equals that of one man. Yet women are the majority of law students in Iran. I learned these facts yesterday from Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Shirin Ebadi, who gave a lecture at my university on "Women's Rights in Iran and the Islamic World." She promotes democracy and nonviolence as the necessary force for social change. Dictatorships do not last long, but cultures do.
The U.S. academic culture does not tolerate sexual abuse but there are still victims. The culture promotes equality but there is still inequality. How should we respond? With courage and perseverance, like the examples cited above.
- Gender Equality Campaigns In 2014
Have you heard of the It's On Us or HeForShe campaigns? This year, White House and the United Nations both launched publicity campaigns aimed at encouraging men and women to support gender equality and end sexual assault. These campaigns...
- Sexual Harassment: One Campus's Response
MIT is not on the list of colleges and universities with current or recent sexual violence investigations conducted by the US Departments of Education and Justice. Yet we have sexual violence on our campus and are committed to eliminating it. ...
- June Aas Town Hall: Addressing Sexual Violence On College Campuses (tuesday, June 3, 12:45 Pm)
Content note: This blog post and links within contain discussions of sexual violence which may be triggering to survivors. Our college campuses are not safe spaces. Sexual violence is endemic, with estimates of one in four college women experiencing...
- Addressing The Campus Rape Culture In The Us
Trigger Warning: this blog entry refers to sexual assault on college and university campuses. Unpleasant topics should not always be avoided. Ask any college or university president or provost what her or his top concerns are, and chances are that the...
- Guest Post By Debra Fischer: Harassment Hiding In Plain Sight
Today's guest post is by Debra Fischer, a Professor of Astronomy and head of the exoplanets group at Yale University. We?ve all been witnessing the embarrassing charges of sexual harassment by San Diego mayor, Bob Filner. As the number...