Today’s
guest blogger is Stella Offner. Stella is a Hubble Fellow who works on modeling
the formation of low-mass stars.
Recently, our astronomy women’s
group contemplated expanding event variety, which sparked a debate about what
type of events are appropriate for professional science women's groups*. It
began when a graduate student suggested we visit a nail salon and have our
nails done. This suggestion struck a chord with me. On one hand, I would love
to go (how fun!) but on the other… I felt a niggling sense of unease: would
this event be too girly for a professional women's group?
I was not alone. Another grad
student spoke up, articulating my concern. She suggested that by going,
"we [would be] implicitly reinforcing the idea that beauty is always a
high priority for women, even in professional matters, a common and hurtful
stereotype". The first student shot back that "It's not my job to try
to hide the fact that I am not a guy and it's not my job to try and 'fit in'.
Just because I seek gender equality doesn't mean I have to… shun all things
feminine." Clearly this innocuous event suggestion had touched a
nerve.
