Each year the STEM community loses creative, driven, highly educated women who could develop better medicines, invent smarter technologies, and engineer solutions to make the world we share a better place. They leave workplace environments which tolerate bullying and harassment. Organization leaders must create and enforce anti-harassment and anti-bullying policies to retain women in science.

Throughout history, racism and bias have made their way into science. Flagrant injustice such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, forced sterilization, and experimentation without informed consent are less common today. Yet implicit and unconscious bias still affect what gets studied, who is funded to perform the research, and the demographics included in clinical trials. Together we must fight systemic racism.

Bias affects everything from hiring, pay, and advancement decisions to what research is conducted, who is patented, who is published, and who wins awards. Women leave the STEM workforce at twice the rate of men due to the bias, harassment, and inequity that they experience. Individuals must stand against bias when they see it. Employers must build, maintain, and enforce safe and inclusive workplaces.  

​Whether caring for young children, disabled adults, or elderly relatives, women traditionally bear more of the burden for caregiving than men which can negatively impact their careers. Primary caregivers are often unfairly perceived as less dedicated employees than their counterparts. They are offered fewer professional opportunities and are paid less. Organization leaders must avoid and counteract caregiving biases and support caregivers with flexible schedules and resources to help them succeed.

Title IX offers protections and recourse for women, LGBTQIA+ students, pregnant and parenting students, and victims of sexual assault. Despite 50 years of progress, there is still more work to do to ensure discrimination and harassment-free educational settings. Institutions must move beyond legal compliance and instead address the campus cultures that allow violations to continue.  

Public Policy and Advocacy at the Local Level

Advocacy for Scientists: Five Tips for Sustained Action

Scientists are the experts that scientists rely on for shaping policy. Combining expertise and personal narrative with sustained action, you can be a powerful force for change. Use these five tips as guidance to get started.

Advocacy from Home or Office

Resources to help you find, research, and contact your local representatives

• Call script and letter writing template
• Legislative representative lookup tool
• Legislation tracking tools

Take your Messaging to the Next Level

We know that some AWIS chapters are ready to merge their STEM and advocacy. Find out tips and tricks to take your advocacy to the next level.

• AWIS Talking Points
• Draft your own talking points for causes you are working towards

Tips and Tricks and Promising Practices

Explore the best practices for effective outreach

• General tips and tricks
• Making phone calls
• Holding face-to-face meetings
• Writing emails or letter