Women in science thought history has been less prominent than that of their male counterparts, although recently this has changed considerately, women still lag behind when it comes filling the top positions in industry and in academia.
Women earn only 31% of Ph.D.s and hold and even lower percentage of 21% tenure-track positions, 12% of the chemistry faculty positions in top universities and a shocking 2% of professional positions. These numbers are slowly increasing, from 20% of Ph.D.s in the eighties, but there is still away to go to be equal.
Universities are now trying to actively welcome women into their departments, which can help to stop women feeling isolated and different. Recruitment can often be a problem, so wider methods of advertising than normal are used. Once recruited, mentoring can help to create a supportive environment in a male dominated world. This requires the backing of heads of departments, so who holds these positions can have a large effect of the environment within the department for the newer members and the development of their careers. The members on university committees have a responsibility to make sure there are women on committees and that women are included professionally and socially.
There is still room for improvement in creating a more balanced number of men and women but departments are changing to make it more possible to create an environment where women can thrive.