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I agree that systemic issues play an important role, but some of those
systems issues are the result of individual bias in multiple
individuals.  There are significant randomized statistical studies of
this issue, including studies where names were changed on identical
resumes - see http://www.springerlink.com/index/H60217K42618223T.pdf for
example - that show the same behaviors as Barre describes.  You can't
confront the inhuman requirements for tenure at most academic
institutions unless you've been hired first.  Wise institutions make
some allowance for family care and really wise ones include the men in
those allowances, but they still have no systemic way to deal with the
hiring and other biases.  Anecdotes don't prove it is happening
everywhere with the same power as a statistical study, but they are
still data points.

Dave Smith

David L. Smith, Ph.D.
Director of Professional Development
Da Vinci Discovery Center, Allentown, PA 
http://www.davinci-center.org
"Who will pick up where Leonardo left off?"

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