The next step, says Schiebinger, is moving beyond pilot projects toward fully integrating gender analysis into planning and budgeting at the municipal, regional, and national, and regional levels.

Uncovering gender bias

Gender bias, says Schiebinger, is built into society, architecture, and urban planning. "It is crucially important to identify gender bias in science and technology,: she said. "The operative question is how can we harness the creative power of gender analysis to expand knowledge and spark innovation?" Schiebinger, who served as Clayman Institute Director from 2004 to 2010, identifies three strategic approaches taken by governments, universities, and researchers themselves to gender equality in science and technology over the past several decades

"It is crucially important to identify gender bias in science and technology. The operative question is how can we harness the creative power of gender analysis to expand knowledge and spark innovation?"

First is an attempt to "fix the number of women" — by recruiting more women into male-dominated fields such as politics, science, or technology.  The second approach is to reduce gender bias in institutions, or "fix the institutions." It's such subtle gender bias that leads teachers to write better recommendation letters for men than for women.

Schiebinger's third approach is Gendered Innovations in research, or "fix the knowledge." This approach is especially important for the future of STEM fields, explains Schiebinger — ranging from Vienna's urban engineering to medical research around heart disease, stem cells, the genetics of sex determination, or assistive technologies for the elderly.

A Clayman Institute start-up, Gendered Innovations launched in 2009 and developeded over the next four years through seven international, interdisciplinary workshops with financial backing from the European Commission, the National Science Foundation, and Stanford. The research framework Gendered Innovations developed has garnered attention and is expanding. International organizations and thought leaders are watching closely, adopting Gendered Innovations to transform research and shape policy.

"When we consider gender while designing communities, outcomes simply improve," Schiebinger said. "The Vienna case is another example of why it's crucially important to integrate gender analysis into the curricula at Stanford’s Schools of Engineering and Design — the results speak for themselves. We can’t afford to ignore such opportunities." 

Londa Schiebinger

John L. Hinds Professor of History of Science, Stanford University. Director, EU/US Gendered Innovations in Science, Health & Medicine, and Engineering Project

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