Women in research - Part 2/2 "I don't want to have to rely solely on a quota for women"
Dr. Catrin Bernius is currently coordinating the ATLAS experiment at CERN. The particle physicist talks about the phenomenon of mansplaining. She believes that relying solely on the quota of women in science is wrong.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- There are still far fewer women than men in science.
- Dr. Catrin Bernius is a particle physicist and part of the ATLAS collaboration at CERN.
- In her team, the gender distribution is not 50:50.
- She herself has never felt disadvantaged in her day-to-day work, but knows that this has happened to her female colleagues.
There is still a long way to go before there are as many women as men working in science. "I think it will take a few more years, but a lot will be done," Dr. Catrin Bernius is convinced. The particle physicist coordinates the ATLAS collaboration at CERN.
When she thinks about the gender ratio in her team, it is significantly less than 50:50. "There is still a much higher proportion of male colleagues in all areas, especially in management positions."
Bernius believes that this can be attributed to the hierarchical structures, among other things. Gender stereotypes are historically rooted and it is difficult for women to reconcile work and family life.
For the 41-year-old German, it has always been about hard work. But: "I wouldn't say that I had to work harder than a man to get where I am. But it helps if you know what you're talking about and what you're doing."
In the eyes of the particle physicist, relying solely on the fact that there is a quota for women and that you will therefore get a job or be given preferential treatment is not the right thing to do. "It would be really bad for me if I found out that I had only been offered a job because I was a woman," Bernius explains in an interview with blue News.
Catrin Bernius always wanted to be a scientist
Bernius would advise girls or young women who dream of becoming scientists: "You should and must have the courage, but above all you have to believe in yourself. And don't forget to work hard on your dreams."
For Bernius herself, it was clear from an early age where her path would lead her. She was already interested in math and physics at school. This was the easiest for her.
The decisive moment for her came when a friend of her mother's took her to CERN: "When I was about 14 years old, he showed us the experiment he was working on. It was the 'Large Electron-Positron Collider', or LEP for short. I was fascinated right from the start!"
From then on, one thing led to another - Bernius finished school, studied physics, wrote her doctoral thesis and worked at CERN, where she still is today.
Collaboration between people from all over the world
Being part of the ATLAS experiment makes the particle physicist particularly proud. "I find my everyday life incredibly fulfilling and rewarding, but also challenging," says Bernius.
The collaboration is very diverse, which she particularly likes: "There is something wonderful about working with institutions, laboratories and people from all over the world. The fact that we manage to overcome cultural or language barriers, get along at the end of the day and work towards a common goal - that's the best thing about the experiment."
Given the large number of employees in the various collaborations, Bernius is certain: "There are certainly women who have felt disadvantaged in their day-to-day work at CERN." She does not want to simply sweep this under the carpet, but has never had such experiences herself.
She addresses the phenomenon of mansplaining. However, given the diversity of her team, it is difficult to tell whether a man has not fully understood something due to language differences and is trying to put it into his own words, or whether he is trying to lecture Bernius by repeating her words.
People react with surprise when Bernius mentions her job
When Bernius tells people that she works at CERN, the reaction is always the same: surprise! "But I'm never sure whether they're surprised because I work at CERN, or surprised by the fact that I'm a woman and a physicist," says the 41-year-old.
Something that has also happened once or twice and which Bernius has to laugh amusedly at remembering: "When I say that I work at CERN and it is then automatically assumed that I work there as a secretary."