CAUGHT IN A BAD ROMANCE? CHALLENGES FACING WOMEN GEOSCIENTISTS IN THE 21ST CENTURY

While women engaged in the field of geology face challenges familiar to all scientists – data loss, lack of funding, equipment malfunction – the lack of adequate professional support many women geoscientists face is a challenge that may be gender-specific. Drawing on experiences in government, industry, and academia, we posit that discrete disparities exist between real career opportunities available to women versus their male colleagues in both the geological sciences and other related hard science disciplines, particularly with respect to doctoral degree opportunities. Organizations can and do combat these disparities with varying degrees of success, and we identify commonalities present in the approaches of those that foster a high degree of diversity and success among their female geoscientists.