Senior researcher = d00d - a follow-up
In this forum I usually complain about shit and then forget to provide you with the outcome (even though some of you sometimes specifically ask for it). But today I will make an exception to the rule. As Cath suggested in a comment to my previous post, I sent an email appr. like the one below. I fought a hard fight with a strong urge to be a bitch, since I rather want allies than enemies of the cause [and I don't really like conflicts, but don't tell anyone].
Dear FemaleScientist,
I’m writing regarding the advertisement for a job at Governmental Research Institute that you posted on EmailList yesterday. I’m not interested in the position per se, but I’m very interested to know the reason why the position is open to men only (I assume that is the case since the text specifically states that the researcher Governmental Research Institute will hire will “define HIS [emphasis mine] own topic....”).
I’m partly joking here, and I realize it’s probably just a result of unfortunate wording, but if I were a some kind of -ologist, and wanted to apply for the job, I would probably find the advertisment pretty disscouraging. Anyway, I wish you good luck in finding the best candidate for the job.
Best regards,
HGG
I didn't really expect a reply, but my inbox today produced the following:
Yes, it’s a mistake,
Best regards,
FemaleScientist
Is that a standard response sent to all complainers? Or just a "WTF, leave me alone, you're pathetic"? Hopfully someone will think a little more before posting another ad, but I'm not sure I secured a supporter.
That's a pretty short response. At least you got one! I think a "WTF, leave me alone" type of thing would have been no response at all.
ReplyDeleteDo you know the approximate age of this person (like an older woman)? I'm pretty sure a lot of people aren't as careful about saying him/her he/she his/hers etc as I try to be. (Isn't it also pretty standard these days to say things like "The successful candidate will define the research topics yada yada" - somehow leaving out all mention of gender?)
I wonder if there's any mad scrambling going on behind the scenes to rewrite the ad...
ReplyDeleteShe looks pretty young from the photo on her website. I think it's partly a language issue, it's not an anglophone country
ReplyDeleteCath; I dunno, but I hope so. At least I hope they've learned something
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure why they took the pain to reply at all...
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering why she took the pain to reply... Looks like she doesn't really care at all.
ReplyDeleteyes, that's a good question since the question I asked was relatively obviously rhetorical
ReplyDeleteIt's cool that you sent a complaint. and that she responded, IMO.
ReplyDeleteEGF; I was thinking for once I shouldn't just complain but also do something and this was within the range of things I could imagine myself doing
ReplyDeleteI think it's awesome that you complained, sure her response wasn't what we'd hope but a response itself is pretty cool I think.
ReplyDeletePPD; thanks for coming over here. I have another complaint in the works... - a quite different one
ReplyDeleteNot much information here. Maybe it was someone else's mistake, she tried to fix it, no one would listen, there's nothing she can do. Maybe she had to fight with some linguistically conservative (sexist) supervisor who insists that "he" is the "gender-neutral" pronoun of choice. What can she say? I don't know where this sort of thing is reported but maybe it could be pointed out to the authorities that this ad does indeed violate civil rights laws.
ReplyDelete