BOF: Mommies know best: Continuing the Discussion on Pregnancy and Graduate School

The Grace Hopper conference celebrates all women in computer science. However, the many women who attend this conference fill more roles that just the role of a computer scientist. They are also mothers, grandmothers, sisters, wives, and daughters. In this proposal we discuss the important role of motherhood in particular reference to its impact on young computer science academics and beyond. In order to achieve true gender equality within the workforce of STEM fields, and in particular the workforce of academia, we need to also have mother equality. A known problem is that mothers in STEM fields face the “motherhood penalty” [1]: mothers are presented with fewer professional development opportunities, have weaker social networks, and face increasing demands for work-life balance. For example, within particular demographics, the pay gap between mothers and non-mothers is larger than the pay gap between women and men [2]. However, this difference does not extend to men: fathers do not make less than non-fathers. Negative stereotypes about working mothers, but not about working fathers, also make it particularly challenging to pursue both motherhood and a career. Mothers are rated as less competent and committed to paid work than nonmothers [1]; this characterization again does not extend to fathers. The challenges of combining a career in science with motherhood have been expanded upon in a recent book of essays [8], as well as numerous research papers: see, for example [4, 9]. In a survey of approximately 450 scientists and engineers employed at research universities, more than 70% cited balancing career with family as the most significant challenge facing their career advancement [9]. In fact, in the UK, women who have science or engineering degrees and have school-age children are less likely to be working than women with other degrees [4]. These examples demonstrate that the effect of motherhood on a career is of particular salience to STEM fields. Similarly, the challenges of combining a career in academia with motherhood have been expanded upon in a recent book of essays [3] as well as numerous research papers: see, for example [7, 9, 6]. Much of the difficulty with academia and motherhood is due to the fact that the years spent working long hours on acquiring tenure coincide with the years when it makes the most biological sense to have children. It is difficult to re-enter the pipeline once a woman drops out of the academic workforce [7, 6]. The thing that is particularly disparaging about these challenges is their inequity; children provide a benefit for men and a penalty for women. For example, men with young babies are 38% more likely than women with young babies to achieve tenure [7]. Perhaps a partial reason for this is differences is the social expectations about who will care for children. In a survey of more than 4,400 faculty in the University of California system, it was found that women with children spend almost twice as many hours per week acting as caregivers than men [7]. Taken together, all of these statistics present a daunting picture for a women thinking or starting to venture into motherhood. However, universities and organizations are taking some steps to improve the position of women who want to combine motherhood with a career in science. Part-time and stop-the-clock tenure-track options are becoming more popular [5]. A 2004 survey of German postdocs found that there was not a difference in scientific productivity between scientist mothers and female scientist non-mothers [5]. In Britain, Daphne Jackson Fellowships help female scientists return to the pipeline after taking a leave of absence [5]. In this proposal we present a panel of women who will discuss their highly relevant and recent issues of entering into motherhood. At a conference that values and celebrates the multifaceted nature of its participants, a discus-