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130499 - Antarctica just has this hero factor.pdf (989.75 kB)

'Antarctica just has this hero factor...': Gendered barriers to Australian Antarctic research and remote fieldwork

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posted on 2023-05-20, 00:19 authored by Meredith NashMeredith Nash, Hanne NielsenHanne Nielsen, Justine Shaw, Matt KingMatt King, Mary-Anne LeaMary-Anne Lea, Narissa BaxNarissa Bax
Antarctica is often associated with images of masculine figures battling against the blizzard. The pervasiveness of heroic white masculine leadership and exploration in Antarctica and, more broadly, in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM) research cultures, has meant women have had lesser access to Antarctic research and fieldwork opportunities, with a marked increase since the 1980s. This article presents findings from an exploratory online survey examining how 95 women experienced research and remote Antarctic fieldwork with the Australian Antarctic Program. Although women are entering polar science in greater numbers, a key theme of the qualitative findings of this survey is that gendered barriers to participation in research and fieldwork persist. We discuss five key gendered barriers including: 1) Physical barriers, 2) Caring responsibilities/unpaid work, 3) Cultural sexism/gender bias, 4) Lack of opportunities/recognition, and 5) Unwanted male attention/sexual harassment. We argue that the lack of attention paid to gender and sexuality in polar fieldwork contributes to the invisibility and exclusion of women and other marginalized identities broadly. To conclude, we point to the importance of targeted inclusivity, diversity and equity initiatives through Antarctic research globally and specifically by National Antarctic Programs.

History

Publication title

PLoS ONE

Volume

14

Article number

e0209983

Number

e0209983

Pagination

1-22

ISSN

1932-6203

Department/School

School of Social Sciences

Publisher

Public Library of Science

Place of publication

United States

Rights statement

Copyright 2019 Nash et al. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Repository Status

  • Open

Socio-economic Objectives

Expanding knowledge in human society

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