Women in Science: Underrepresentation and Its Causes

Žene su dio povijesti čovječanstva. Iako marginalizirane, one su povijest stvarale i u njoj sudjelovale. One su kroz povijest bile ograničene uglavnom na privatnu sferu, te im je bilo mnogo teže da se istaknu u različitim područjima. Potiskivanje žena počinje još prije njihova rođenja. To je uglavnom "psihičko" potiskivanje kroz želju da se rodi "muško" dijete, da bude "prvo muško". Ekonomsko potiskivanje žene ogleda se u njezinoj ovisnosti o mužu i njegovim primanjima u slučajevima gdje su žene nezaposlene. Potiskivanje žena u suvremenom društvu nastavlja se i u političkom životu, a neravnopravnost u znanosti i kulturi daje još jednu dimenziju ukupnom udaljavnju žena od glavnih društvenih tokova. Obrazovanje je proces u kome se ostvaruje promocija i uspon žene u društvu, to je jedini siguran instrument njenog "opstanka" u glavnim društvenim tokovima. Stoljeće koje je započelo prije više od desetljeća sve više pobuđuje promišljanje o temama koje su veoma dugo bile u pozadini. Sukladno spomenutim, žene postaju aktualna tema većine istraživača. Bez obzira na značajan napredak u emancipaciji žena do koga je došlo u drugoj polovici XX. stoljeća, ipak se može konstatirati da i dalje ostaje dosta prostora gdje ženama predstoji naporan i dug put da se izbore za ravnopravan status s muškarcima.Women are part of the history of mankind. Even though they were marginalized, they made history and participated in it. Through history, women were mostly limited to the private sphere and it was a lot harder for them to be prominent in certain fields. Supression of women starts before their birth. That is mostly psychological supression due to parents always wanting a male child, „firstborn son“. Economic propulsion of women is reflected in its dependence on the husband and his income in cases where women are unemployed. The suppression of women in contemporary society continues in political life, and inequality in science and culture gives another dimension to the total distance of women from major social flows. Education is a process in which the promotion and rise of women in society is realized, it is the only sure instrument of its "survival" in the major social trends. The century that began more than a decade ago increasingly inspired the reflection on topics that were very long in the background. According to that, women become the current topic of most researchers. Regardless of the significant advances in emancipation of women to which it came in the second half of the 20th century, it can still be said that there is still plenty of room for women to face a hard and long way of choosing equal status with men