Scientific Articles

• Leaper, C., & Starr, C. R. (2019). Helping and hindering undergraduate women’s STEM motivation: Experiences with STEM encouragement, STEM-related gender bias, and sexual harassment. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 43(2), 165-183. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361684318806302 
• Aycock, L. M., Hazari, Z., Brewe, E., Clancy, K. B., Hodapp, T., & Goertzen, R. M. (2019). Sexual harassment reported by undergraduate female physicists. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 15(1), 010121. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.15.010121 
• Settles, I. H., Cortina, L. M., Malley, J., & Stewart, A. J. (2006). The climate for women in academic science: The good, the bad, and the changeable. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 30(1), 47-58. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.2006.00261.x 

Explanation of the Post

Many women throughout history have felt pushed out of scientific environments. The lack of female presence in scientific fields such as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) is often discussed. However, what is less talked about is the causes of the lack of women in these fields. It is a common assertion that these sciences, like many others where there is a noticeable lack of women, are masculinised. On the contrary, what many scientific evidence points to as one of the causes affecting the lower presence of women is that they often suffer violence and harassment in these environments. Preventing cases of harassment and violence and protecting victims when they do occur will be one of the main issues that will lead to more women occupying these places and more girls dreaming of becoming scientists.­­

Various studies provided evidence that the disparity between the figures reported in scientific research and the number of official complaints is largely due to victims’ fear of reporting the incidents, as they are aware they may face reprisals from members of the university community (NUS, 2018; Mdletshe & Makhaye, 2025). Ahsan and Ali (2025) explain in their research on feminists’ activists in Pakistan how reprisals seriously damage their health and affect their professional life (reducing job opportunities, causing reputational damage, or job loss).

Other sources

Ahsan, M., & Ali, F. (2025). The cost of speaking out: Cyber harassment and abuse against feminist activists in Pakistan. Media, Culture & Society, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/01634437251360378

Mdletshe, L. C., & Makhaye, M. S. (2025). Suffering in Silence: Reasons Why Victims of Gender-Based Violence in Higher Education Institutions Choose Not to Report Their Victimization. Social Sciences, 14(6), 336. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14060336

National Union of Students. (2018). Power in the academy: Staff sexual misconduct in UK higher education. National Union of Students. https://www.nusconnect.org.uk/resources/power-in-the-academy-staff-sexual-misconduct-in-uk-higher-education