Cyber harassment of female scientists will not be the new norm - The Lancet Infectious Diseases
▻https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(20)30944-0/abstract
Female scientists have little presence in the media,3, 4 and this lack of representation has been particularly true during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, studies have shown that women have been less represented in first and senior authorship positions during the pandemic.5, 6 However, beyond the observation of this under-representation of women, it seems to us particularly worrying that “harassment in science is real”, as highlighted in a 2017 editorial in Science.7 Women may be more prone than men to cyberbullying,8 which aims to denigrate their probity and scientific competence. Comments are often directed against their physical characteristics or intended to judge and harm them.
The image of women in scientific roles has to be normalised, and role models should be heard to inspire younger generations and create a virtuous circle to counteract the silencing of womens’ voices in science.