There's still a lot of homework at university

Unfortunately, the increase in the number of female students and changes in attitudes towards soil science were not accompanied by an increase in female lecturers. The number of female lecturers in soil science remains at around 30% and there has been no change since 10 years ago.

Our data also reveals that female lecturers have a lower chance than male lecturers in obtaining a doctoral degree. Only 16% of female lecturers in soil science have doctoral degrees, while male lecturers make up 42%.

The first female Professor of Soil Science in Indonesia – namely Prof. Nurhajati Hakim at Andalas University – was only appointed as a professor in 1990. qqcitybet

Currently, the number of female soil science professors is only 3% compared to 12% male professors. There are also fewer female lecturers in leadership positions in higher education (their highest positions are Dean, Deputy Dean, Postgraduate Director, and Vice Chancellor).

This data shows that there are structural career barriers for female academics on Indonesian campuses. These constraints relate to social values, culture, and organizational barriers.

The Indonesian government has actually been trying to fight for gender equality and women's empowerment since 2000. However, after 20 years, the results have not been seen in the sphere of higher education.

Maintaining a balance between career and family life is also a challenge for most female lecturers. In our survey, many female academics tend to prioritize family over work.

In certain cultures in some areas, women are not used to talking about their ambitions for a higher position. Even in organizations, leadership roles are still mostly given to men so that female scientists are under-represented in leadership positions in academic organizations.

Towards gender equality

Closing the gender gap in the world of science requires inclusive policies, as well as commitment and clear understanding from all parties involved.

Soil science researchers can no longer just focus on increasing food production, but also have to look at climate change, greenhouse gases, soil microbes, soil and environmental degradation. This requires collaboration across disciplines and demography to address the challenges of sustainable land management.

An academic community that has a gender balance and inclusion of diverse ethnicities and cultures will produce more productive teams and greater scientific innovation.

Therefore, we need to continue to support Indonesian female scientists to have a bigger role and opportunity in advancing soil science education. Ultimately, this will increase research opportunities as well as agricultural management to support economic growth and environmental sustainability.