The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Science recently conducted a survey (at the request of L’Oreal USA) about women in science. The bottom line: “gender still matters with regard to women’s being able to be successful and to move ahead in science,” AAAS Director of Education and Human Resources Shirley Malcom told a Congressional panel on Sept. 23.

 Thirteen-hundred scientists (male and female) with doctoral degrees participated in the survey. All participants were AAAS members.

According to the survey results, approximately 98% of female respondents know a female colleague who has left the science field because she “encountered barriers to her professional success.” Another 61% of female respondents said that they had personally struggled to balance their life and career. More than half had experienced gender bias, and half cited challenges (childcare was a leading barrier) to working in a scienctific field. More than one-third said that they had encountered limited access to mentors. Respondents noted that male scientists, on the other hand, who had left the field had done so based on different barriers such as insufficient pay. The male scientists, in other words, hadn’t come face to face with as many work-life balance issues or gender biases.

These gender biases, said female survey respondents, are the reason many female scientists have left the the sciences. As a female, I find these results disheartening, especially as we walk through the 21^st century when women are for the most part, not only working, but in fact are leading very successful careers.  Next month, I plan to start taking my daughter to weekly science class. She’s only 4 years old—and I hope that by the time she’s 24, a career in science will be far more welcoming to her and her generation.