by Alexandra Norelli
To mark International Women and Girls in Science Day (February 11), I began rating some Women in Science displays I’ve seen around Oxford. Despite being one of the oldest universities in the world, Oxford only started allowing women to graduate 104 years ago (link). That’s 80 years after the first woman graduated from Wesleyan College in the US. Before that, women were allowed to study and were integral in the university’s running but not recognized for their efforts. Oxford has many museums highlighting the research conducted there and the institution’s long academic history, much of it focused on white, often rich, men. While perusing Oxford’s collections and colleges, I found myself searching among the displays for my fellow female academics of the past. With 100+ years of women graduates, I felt that there really had to be highlights of women in STEM.
Over the past few months, I’ve collected pictures of Women in Science displayed around Oxford throughout the year. These displays were not specifically for International Women and Girls in Science Day; they are part of larger inclusion projects. I wanted to dive into some of these inclusion efforts as a woman in fisheries to see what efforts I appreciate as an early career researcher and may help retain women like me. To make things more fun, I will rate each display out of 10 based on visibility, emotional impact, information, and an appreciation bonus point (Rating: 3/3/3/1).
Shout out for Women in Science
Overall Rating: 6/10
Shout out for Women in Science display photographed in the Oxford Natural History Museum, Oxford, UK.
At the museum, I was highly disappointed with the level of women’s representation. The Oxford Natural History Museum is an architectural marvel with a large central room lined with columns of various stone samples. In front of the columns are statues of historically famous scientists, from Galileo to Darwin, but no women. Instead of statues, this “shout-out to women in science” is a discrete but informative homage to the women in science. I wished they had commissioned full statutes instead of printing a few papers. I understand that it costs money and takes way more effort, but that made this display feel like a cop-out.
Visibility: 1
These are single sheets of printed paper scattered around the Natural History Museum. They are well-designed information sheets but not eye-catching and require much reading. I was actively hunting them down around the museum, but I’m sure some patrons don’t notice them at all.
Emotional Impact: 2
My face lit up when I found Rachel Louise Carson by the birds of the shoreline and Mary Anning by massive ichthyosaur fossils. After seeing Mary Anning’s shout-out, I remembered she existed, and I started seeing her name on all fossil plaques. A while ago, the Women in Fisheries group read “Remarkable Creatures,” a historical fiction about Mary Anning, and I had completely forgotten her story, so this was a nice reminder!
Information: 3
These sheets are packed with information and placed near a relevant exhibit. The interaction between the biography and the specimens is immersive.
Window of Women
Overall Rating: 7
Window of Women photographed in the School of Geography and the Environment stairwell in Oxford, UK.
The first time I noticed this display, I was in awe. The large scale of the window in the stairwell makes the group of women feel impressive, and as you look closely at each panel, you realize how diverse they are. The wall is predominantly white women, but there is a surprising diversity of ages, ethnicities, and appearances. Upon reading the plaque, I was impressed that this many recent employees submitted their photographs for this installation.
Visibility: 3
I’m not sure how many people notice this window, as it’s hard to see on the outside (hidden in a back alley) and is one of the side stairwells close to the 24-hour door but far from the seminar auditoriums. I see this display every day as I go up to my office, so it might be more visible to me than others, but it is hard to miss.
Emotional Impact: 2
This piece definitely improves my sense of community. As a woman in a small lab where my supervisor and my closest colleague are men, it’s nice to be reminded that many diverse women are working in the building. I’ve also recognized at least one face on the wall, so it’s kind of cool that some of the women pictured are still around.
Information: 1
A plaque next to the piece explains that the window has portraits of female students and staff who have passed through the school. It suggests that they have all gone on to do many great things in many sectors. The plaque opens by explaining this is part of the Athena SWAN Action Plan (link:https://edu.admin.ox.ac.uk/athena-swan-toolkit), which I had to google and found that is a small grant for improving inclusion and diversity in workplaces. Overall, it is vague and too focused on being part of a grant effort.
+1 for visually appealing
Women in Philosophy, Politics and Economics
Overall Rating: 5
A display in the Institute of New Economic Thinking celebrates 100 years of women in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, a gallery curated by Keiko Ikeuchi (@keikoikeuchiphotography) in Oxford, UK.
By this point, I had decided I would be writing this blog, so I was actively keeping an eye out for any displays related to women in science. I stumbled upon this display while getting coffee at the Institute of New Economic Thinking on my way to a seminar on agent-based models. I stopped to take pictures and explain the project to my colleague, and then we walked up to the seminar room, where I was one of four women in a seminar of about 24 people. After experiencing the diversity of the geography department and research staff pub nights, a programming seminar was a stark reminder that some academic spaces are not as inclusive, considering I saw more women on the walls than in the seminar.
Visibility: 2
This is a gallery of photographs throughout the Institute of New Economic Thinking. I’m not sure how many photographs there are, but they are very well-taken and give each woman a feeling of legitimacy. The corporate-adjacent vibe of some of the pictures fits the modern building well. It was easy to find the plaque that described the project.
Emotional Impact: 1
Visually, this isn’t as gripping as the Window of Women, and I didn’t connect with the content either. I didn’t have time to read all of the personal statements alongside each woman’s portrait, so I may not have gotten the full emotional impact of this piece.
Information: 2
The plaque had a lot of good information, including the 100 years of female graduates I mentioned in the opening paragraph. Each portrait also has the woman’s name, profession, and philosophy.
Dean/Professor Portraits in Dining Halls and Exam Rooms
Overall Rating: 8
A portrait of Dr. Norma Aubertin-Potter painted by Emily Carrington Freeman (left) and Professor Dame Carole Jordan painted by Rupert Brooks (right) photographed in the Examination School, Oxford, UK.
Around Oxford, women are starting to appear in more of these portraits as part of the Diversification of Portraiture project (link). This project is an effort by the university’s Equality and Diversity Unit to catalog and commission portraits of women at Oxford. Most Oxford colleges have grand dining halls with portraits of past deans, and there are scattered portraits of professors in various departments and the examination building. I found these two while on a tour of the examination school. They were on display in one of the exam rooms alongside each woman’s bio. Dr. Aubertin-Potter’s portrait was particularly striking; all I could think about was how cool it looked.
Visibility: 2
I wasn’t sure how to rate this because the portraits are meant to blend in and look like they’ve been there this whole time. The portraits feel like a true equality effort, as the newly commissioned portraits are of the same quality or better than many existing portraits.
Emotional Impact: 3
I love these. Every time I see one, I light up. There’s something empowering about seeing a woman painted in the old portraiture style, not as a symbol of beauty but as a record of status and for honoring achievement. I’ve seen some really creative portrait poses and locations chosen by the women or the modern portrait artists that demonstrate how inclusivity can diversify outcomes.
Information: 2
I found some signage with one portrait describing the diversification process, but most portraits do not have information associated with them. The most important information these portraits are trying to convey is that women can be in the same power roles as men, and many of the Oxford colleges are finally accepting a new age of deans and professors.
+1 for awesome portraiture
Conclusions
All in all, I appreciate the efforts made to improve women’s visibility in science throughout academic spaces around Oxford. As an early career scientist in the leaky pipeline, it helps to see other women who persevered and succeeded in the field. I hope organizations continue to support these initiatives and funding organizations consider putting more money toward these efforts because they genuinely help promote inclusivity in male-dominated spaces. Women-centric art provides a daily reminder, something a diversity-centric training event cannot, ingraining that Women in Science is more than just a day; it’s a lifestyle.