Solutions to Gender Balance in STEM Fields Through Support, Training, Education and Mentoring: Report of the International Women in Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering Task Group

Barabino G 1 , Frize M 2 , Ibrahim F 3 , Kaldoudi E 4 , Lhotska L 5 , Marcu L 6 Show all authors , Stoeva M 7 , Tsapaki V 8 , Bezak E 9

Affiliations 

  • 1 The Grove School of Engineering, The City College of New York, New York, NY, USA
  • 2 Department of Systems and Computer Engineering, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
  • 3 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 4 School of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupoli, Greece
  • 5 Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague 6, Czech Republic
  • 6 Faculty of Science, University of Oradea, 1 Universitatii str, 410087, Oradea, Romania
  • 7 Chair IOMP Medical Physics World Board, International Organization for Medical Physics, York, UK
  • 8 Medical Physics Unit, Konstantopoulio General Hospital, Agias Olgas 3-5, 14233, Nea Ionia, Greece
  • 9 Cancer Research Institute and School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia. Eva.Bezak@unisa.edu.au
Sci Eng Ethics, 2020 02;26(1):275-292.
PMID: 30806940 DOI: 10.1007/s11948-019-00097-0

Abstract

The aim of this article is to offer a view of the current status of women in medical physics and biomedical engineering, while focusing on solutions towards gender balance and providing examples of current activities carried out at national and international levels. The International Union of Physical and Engineering Scientists in Medicine is committed to advancing women in science and health and has several initiatives overseen by the Women in Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering Task Group. Some of the main strategies proposed by the Task Group to attain gender balance are: (a) identify and promote female role models that achieve successful work-life balance, (b) establish programs to develop female leaders, (c) create opportunities for females to increase the international visibility within the scientific community, and (d) establish archives and databases of women in STEM.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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