Students Protest Lack of Women at Rehovot Science Conference at the Weizmann Institute: Israel Science is for Man Only

"Some 20 graduate students demonstrated yesterday in front of the "Rehovot Conference" at the Weizmann Institute of Science, to protest the absence of women at the gathering.

The new conference will serve as a "national forum for examining Israel's science policy." Some 30 speakers [including PM Ariel Sharon] - all men - were invited to address the forum. One woman, Atalia Rosenbaum, director general of the Science Ministry, participated in a panel. Students of both genders carried signs reading "Men Only," and "No Science without Women."

"We are protesting the attitude that science is a men-only club," said Tamar Kashti, a Ph.D. student at the institute.

Several senior scientists decided not to attend the conference because of the exclusion of women. Prof. Ruth Shalgi, deputy president of research and development at Tel Aviv University, as well as other researchers from Tel Aviv, the Hebrew University and the Weizmann Institute, said women were not invited, despite there being women who lead in the fields of science and science policy in Israel.

MK Melli Polishuk-Bloch (Shinui), chair of the Knesset's Education Committee until recently, boycotted the convention. "Ignoring women's potential harms Israel's prospects for growth and scientific development," she said.

In response to the promise to hold a session on "Women in Science" at the next conference, Polishuk said: "I don't need a special session on the status of women. That only perpetuates the discrimination."

Source: Tamara Traubman. Students protest lack of women at science conference. Haaretz.com (10 June 2005) [FullText]

Also see:

1. PM Ariel Sharon's Speech at the Rehovot Conference for Science and Technology. MyRehvot.info (14 June 2005) [FullText]
2. President of the Non-profit Weizmann Institute Becomes Rehovot's Biotech Firm Top Official. MyRehvot.info (11 June 2005) [FullText]