Empowering Women in Quantum | Insights from the QuantERA Strategic Conference

As part of the QuantERA strategic conference, WIQD organized a panel session on Empowering Women in Quantum. Moderated by Caiseal Beardow (PhD Candidate & Creative Technologist, TU Delft), the discussion included Elisabeth Giacobino (QuantERA Expert, Sorbonne University), Servaas Kokkelmans (Professor at the TU/e, Director of the Center for Quantum Materials and Technology Eindhoven QT/e), Judith Kreukels (Advisor Equity, Diversity and Inclusion NWO-I & Head of Programmes WIQD), Zala Lenarčič (QuantERA Project Coordinator, Jožef Stefan Institute), and Kirsten Stadermann (Assistant Professor at the University of Twente).

Why Should We Care About Diversity?

“We should all care that everybody feels that they belong.”

The panel started with a simple question of why we should care about diversity. Judith Kreukels explained that her answer depends on the audience she’s talking to. For those looking for a more scientific explanation, she points to the evidence that diverse teams perform better (McKinsey & Co.), while she emphasizes that we should all care that everybody feels that they belong.

Exclusion of Women is a Systemic Issue

“Gender gap in science is a cultural thing”

Moving the discussion to the issue of why there is a gender gap in science, Kirsten Stadermann presented how scientific identity plays a role in retaining talent. Interestingly, Stadermann pointed out that a gender gap is a cultural phenomenon. While the Netherlands ranks at the bottom of the list with the lowest percentage of female researchers, Balkan countries rank at the top with an almost equal division by gender. To this, Zala Lenarčič shared how shocked she was when she came from Slovenia where her classes where equally attended by men and women to Germany where suddenly all her peers were male. Lenarčič reflected how growing up in an environment where being a female scientist was normal and there were plenty of ‘role models’ made her feel comfortable to go into STEM. Normalizing existence of women in STEM strengthens one’s perception of themselves as a scientist (scientific identity).

The panellists also reflected on the difficulty of combining having a family and being a researcher when in a lot of countries, including the Netherlands, the systems are not in place to provide the support needed. Connecting to that, Stadermann touched upon how the system raises women to be more sensitive to expectations while Kreukels highlighted the importance of intersectionality of gender identity as well as culture and neurodiversity.

Do Gender Quotas Actually Work?

Reflecting on the issue, Servaas Kokkelmans shared the experience of TU Eindhoven’s gender quota recruitment procedure which resulted in nearly 30 percent of TU/e permanent academic staff (faculty) being women. Not only did the controversial policy result in more women hired, Kokkelmans also notes that having female group leaders resulted in more women applying to participate in the women-led groups.

However, Lenarčič disagreed with the quota system explaining how insecure she would have felt knowing that she was chosen as a ‘minority hire’. To this, Kreukels explained how an unconscious bias exists in recruitment – people are more likely to hire someone if they see themselves in that person. She believes that having a quota system allows us to level the playing field. Elizabeth Giacobino reflected on her own experience as a young woman in France applying for studies when there were quotas for both men and women. As a result of the decision to abolish them, less women were applying because they felt they were less good compared to their peers. As such, she thinks that quotas are a good way to encourage more women to join the field.

How to Combat the “Minority Hire” Stigma?

“Were the men questioning if they were chosen because they were men?”

Following this discussion, one of the audience members asked how can women deal with the thought that they might be a ‘minority hire’. In response, Kreukels explained how focusing on only diversity is the wrong way to go. For anyone to thrive in any environment, they should feel included, that they belong. To foster this feeling, she advises for employers to explain why they chose to hire this person based on their experience and discuss how unconscious bias plays a role in hiring men for being men. Finally, she encourages setting up mentorship programmes to provide support. Giacobino also pointed out how important culture change is and having values outlined, such as in the Women for Quantum – Manifesto of Values.

How Do We Change the System?

The final point of discussion was how to make the system more equitable. Kreukels emphasized the importance of inclusion before diversity and the importance on intersectionality over just gender discussions. Giacobino pointed out the need for change in education at an early age that normalizes and encourages girls to enter STEM fields. Conversely, Stadermann suggested implementing diversity courses since it might be hard for boys to imagine how it is to be a girl in this world. While Lenarčič emphasized the need for clear rules that excellence comes before gender to stop the negative reactions, Kokkelmans noted that diversity should not be a thing by itself, but that the focus should be on the values in doing research and accepting differences.

Conclusion

The QuantERA panel discussion was a powerful reminder of the need for diversity and inclusion in quantum. From promoting gender equality to challenging unconscious biases, the panelists emphasized the importance of creating a more inclusive scientific community. Thank you to all the participants for their inspiring contributions!

If you are interested in hearing more from inspiring voices in the field, be sure to check out our Inspirational Talks.