Driving Systemic Change in Chromatography: Actionable Steps Toward Gender Equity

While building community and offering personal advice are crucial, achieving true gender equity in chromatography requires deliberate, systemic change. In the final instalment of our roundtable series with the founders of the International Women in Chromatography group, Diane Turner, Jacqueline Hamilton, and Caroline Gauchotte-Lindsay move from identifying problems to proposing concrete solutions. They address the responsibilities of institutions, the power of policy reform, and the vital role of allies. This article outlines the actionable steps needed to transform the culture of science.

Re-engineering Promotion and Recognition

The panellists identified systemic flaws in how success is measured. Gauchotte-Lindsay pointed out that using average grant income or citation metrics for promotion inherently disadvantages women, as women generally will be paid less and take career breaks. The solution requires a fundamental re-evaluation of promotion criteria. Institutions must contextualize achievements by accounting for career breaks, part-time work, and caregiving responsibilities. As Hamilton noted, her department considers the quality of papers and the impact of time off, a policy she identifies as essential for helping women move forward. Furthermore, there is a critical need to broaden the definition of excellence to value a wider range of contributions beyond traditional metrics, including mentorship, teaching, and community building. Finally, leadership must proactively identify and nominate women and other underrepresented groups for awards, keynotes, and honors.

Combating Bias in Publishing and Funding

It has been reported that women face barriers in publishing (1), and this has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic (2). The panel’s insights suggest a multi-faceted approach. Journals should, where feasible, adopt double-blind peer review to minimize author identity bias. Concurrently, journal editors and grant review panels must actively seek gender and geographical diversity to ensure a wider range of perspectives. Perhaps most importantly, funding bodies and academic publishers should mandate implicit bias training for all reviewers and editors to create awareness of the unconscious patterns that can influence decision-making and perpetuate inequality.

Creating Flexibility to Retain Talent

A critical point of attrition is the lack of flexibility for parents and caregivers. Turner observed that many talented women leave core lab roles for "roles like marketing or HR" to gain flexibility, representing a significant loss of expertise for the field.

To retain this talent, laboratories and companies must innovate to create viable and respected part-time research and leadership positions, including job-sharing models and output-focused evaluation rather than time-on-site metrics. Support must also be extended to all parents; Gauchotte-Lindsay argued that we must "help men to be fathers." Encouraging and normalizing paternity leave and flexible working for all parents ensures the career penalty associated with having children is more equally shared and reduced for everyone. Investing in lab infrastructure, such as remote monitoring of instruments and efficient data management systems, can further facilitate flexible working arrangements without compromising the rigorous quality of research.

The Essential Role of Allies and Advocacy

Change cannot rest solely on the shoulders of women. The role of allies—particularly men in senior positions—is critical. Allies can actively amplify the contributions of women in meetings, cite their work, and recommend them for speaking opportunities. They must also use their influence to question non-inclusive practices, advocate for policy changes within their organizations, and call out biased behavior when they see it. Participation in the solution is key; as seen with the networking event at HPLC 2025, the community welcomes allies.

Conclusion: A Collective Responsibility

The path to equity is not a women's issue; it is a global scientific integrity issue. By implementing thoughtful policies, re-engineering outdated systems, and embracing the support of allies, the field of chromatography can help to create a system that evaluates potential and values contributions from all. This is how chromatography will not only become fairer but also stronger, more innovative, and truly representative of the best scientific minds.

References

(1) Day, A. E.; Corbett, P.; Boyle, J. Is There a Gender Gap in Chemical Sciences Scholarly Communication? Chem. Sci. 2020, 11, 2277–2301. DOI: 10.1039/C9SC04090K

(2) Böhm, V.; Liu, J. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Publishing in Astronomy in the Initial Two Years. Nat. Astron. 2023, 7, 105–112. DOI: 10.1038/s41550-022-01830-9