MORE FOR MOMS: EXPANDING VISIBILITY OF RESOURCES AND STORIES RELATED TO MOTHERHOOD IN THE GEOSCIENCES

As a historically male-dominated field, working in the geosciences has long been a challenge for women due to many barriers. Perceived gender norms, hostile conditions, sexism, and more have led to issues with retention. While the imbalance in the field has improved, additional efforts are necessary to more fully diversify the geosciences and ensure that careers in the discipline are welcoming and attainable for all identities. Women who are also mothers face even more obstacles. Challenges moms may have relate to the lab, field, and in attitudes and pressure placed on them if viewed as not being solely career focused. Safety considerations in pregnancy, nursing/pumping logistics, long inflexible lab hours and/or remote field locations, limited access to medical/fertility care, post-partum complications, and kids with special needs are among the many additional considerations in balancing work and life responsibilities. Motherhood is extremely demanding; individuals vary in the amount of support they have from partners, family members, and their “village” overall. While visibility of moms in the geosciences has increased as evidenced by photos of kids in the field and in childcare and/or lactation rooms at conferences, students and early to mid-career women in particular could benefit from having more centralized resources on navigating motherhood in the geosciences. There has been a large focus on building community among women and celebrating the contributions of women in history, but stories of motherhood are often not included, less visible, or are challenging to discuss for numerous reasons. Women juggling motherhood as part of their identity however have unique struggles and common experiences and needs; more could be done to better support new and aspiring mothers attempting to balance both parts of their life in studying and/or working in the geosciences. This project started by a student and faculty mom at Georgia State University aims to compile stories and resources specifically for mothers including recognizing not only the challenges but also strengths that motherhood may bring to their disciplinary work. Aspects of motherhood are valued in referring to our world as Mother Nature or Mother Earth; let’s do more to support women balancing both a career in the geosciences and being a mom.