The head of the Academy that Awards Nobel Prizes has been a Swedish scientist. He has eliminated the idea of ethnicity or gender quotas in the selection process for this prestigious award.
Gran Hansson, secretary general of Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, acknowledged that so few women are in the running, but said the prize would eventually go to those who are considered the most deserving.
Maria Ressa, a Filipino investigative journalist, was the sole woman to be honored this year. She shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Dmitry Muratov (a fellow journalist), and 12 men.
Since 1901, only 59 Nobel Prizes have been awarded to women. This is just 6.2% of all the awards.
Hansson, who informs chemistry and economics Nobel prizewinners about their success, defended his stance regarding quotas during an interview with the Agence France-Presse.
It is sad that so few women are Nobel laureates. This is a reflection of the unjust conditions in society, especially in recent years but still present. He said that there is so much more to be done.
We have made it clear that we won't have any quotas for ethnicity or gender. We want all laureates to be accepted because they have made the most important discoveries, not because of their gender or ethnicity. This is in keeping with Alfred Nobel's last will.
Goran Hansson (C), permanent secretary of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences with Nobel economics prize committee members Peter Fredriksson and Eva Mork. Photograph by Claudio Bresciani/TT News Agency/AFP/Getty Images
Hansson stressed that the academy would make sure that all women who are deserving get an equal chance to win the Nobel prize. She also said that significant efforts have been made in encouraging women scientists to be nominated.
We ensured that we were aware of the problem, as well subconscious bias in the prize-awarding committees and academies. He said that we had had sociologists give lectures, had group discussions and put a lot of effort into this.
We will award the prize at the end to the most deserving, the most significant contributors.
This year, there were no prizes for women in science. Last year, Emmanuelle Charpentier, Jennifer Doudna and Jennifer Doudna were the chemistry laureates. Andrea Ghez was the physics laureate. We had Esther Duflo, an economist scientist, the year before.
Hansson stated that while women are now being recognized more than in previous decades, the trend is increasing from a low point.
Remember that women make up only 10% of professors in the natural sciences in North America or western Europe. This is even less if you consider East Asia. It takes time to assess, to get nominations, and to determine for the Nobel prize.
Hansson stated that the topic of gender quotas was raised about three weeks ago, but was dropped on the grounds that it could undermine the legitimacy of laureates.
We've discussed it... but then it would be, fear not, considered that the laureates won the prize because of their gender and not because they were the best. He said that there is no doubt that Esther Duflo and Emmanuelle Charpentier were the most significant contributors to science.
We will ensure that there is an increasing number of women scientists invited to nominate. We will ensure that we continue to have women scientists on our committees. But we need to get help from society. It is important to have different attitudes about women entering science... so they can make the discoveries that are being given to them.
Laurie Winkless, a New Zealand physicist who is also an author, criticized the academy in a series tweets posted on Tuesday. She was not surprised, but dismayed that the organization has maintained its old attitudes. It is important to remember that Marie Curie wouldn't have been awarded the 1903 Physics Prize if it had been up to the committee.
