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The Gender Credibility Gap: Embracing femininity in a world of masculinity

Updated: 1 day ago

Becca Williams, PhD student and 'Neuroscience Communicator of the Year' at the WiNUK 2024 Awards
Becca Williams, PhD student and 'Neuroscience Communicator of the Year' at the WiNUK 2024 Awards

Rebecca ‘Becca’ Williams is a computational neuroscience PhD student at the University of Cambridge and a passionate scientific communicator. As part of her public engagement extracurricular activities, Becca posts as a guest writer for the dementia researcher blog. In her most recent piece, Becca discussed the Women in Neuroscience UK 2024 Awards event: “It was an evening of celebrating some incredibly inspiring scientists, mentors, and activists. An evening of celebrating some incredibly inspiring women. Women in cerebral ear-rings and hot pink suits, neuron necklaces, and Purkinje dresses. Women whose innovation and impact were in no way diminished by their high heels”. 


Becca pondered her previously internalised perception of women and science being binary terms, with no overlap, and the connotations we attach to the word scientist: “analytical and rational, never emotional. Decisive and confident, never passive and soft. Because to be a scientist is to be independent, assertive, and logical. It’s a strange coincidence of fate that these are also traits typically ascribed to masculinity. And so, at a young age, and entirely subconsciously, I had to choose between being perceived as intelligent and being perceived as feminine”.



Women in Neuroscience UK (WiNUK) founder, Lizzie English, shares her response to Becca's blog post below:

Packing #WiNUKAwards2024 certificates and trophies
Packing #WiNUKAwards2024 certificates and trophies

“I loved listening to this blog post and here’s why:


I packed remaining #WiNUKAwards2024 Women in Neuroscience UK certificates and trophies yesterday, ready for posting, but I nearly stopped myself doing pretty pink calligraphy, with femininity too often seen as unprofessional…


Women in Neuroscience UK branding is often hyper-feminine - more feminine than I express myself on most days. This may sometimes feel uncomfortable but is very much intentional.


We see a professional world where masculinity is praised, whilst feminine appearances and attributes are too often frowned upon. Scientists might not always want to express femininity to the level of WiNUK’s branding (and my aim is certainly not to force this), but by being hyperfeminine, WiNUK shows everyone that it is possible to be both feminine and professional at the same time.


It’s wonderful to hear that Women in Neuroscience UK is opening possibilities for scientists to be more confident in their gender expression at work. We should each feel able to show up as ourselves to achieve our best work.”


“Femininity is not, and has never been, a determiner of credibility…It transpires that I never had to choose between being a scientist and being a woman.” Becca Williams

 

This article was written by Lizzie English and edited by Rebecca Pope, with the introduction written by Rebecca Pope. Graphics were produced by Lilly Green. If you enjoyed this article, be the first to be notified about new posts by signing up to become a WiNUK member (top right of this page)! Interested in writing for WiNUK yourself? Contact us through the blog page and the editors will be in touch.


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