Mgr. Marcela Linková co-ordinator National Contact Centre for Women in Science

1. Forced emancipation: the ambivalent attitude of Czech women scientists to issues of gender equality at a time of transformation Mgr. Marcela Linková co-ordinator National Contact Centre for Women in Science Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

2. objective to provide an insight into the differences and similarities between post-communist and western countries in terms of work-life balance issues in R&D and HE sectors structure: communist times to 1989 to transformation Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

3. general framework • no work-life balance measures in policies in the CR or other CEE countries • strong gender polarisation of Czech society • complementarity of the sexes Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

4. political framework • leading role of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia • parallel state administration and Party structure • myth of public representation in public life Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

5. the effects of the communist ideology on R&D • educational system • universities and the Academy of Sciences lost autonomy • separation of education and research • cadre check-ups • greater pressure on universities as educational institutions • lesser pressure on Academy as a research institution • differences between “hard” and “soft sciences Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

6. experience of mobility Seven steps towards international conferences… (That a Romanian scientist had to pass in order to attend) • Step 1: To receive an invitation from the organisers; to justify the personal connection and relationships with organisers (where from, how they discovered you); to declare whether or not you have relatives in the destination country or generally abroad; to have • recommendation of the head of department (usually a man). • Step 2: To receive the approval from the communist party organisation in the institution in which you are working. • Step 3: To receive the approval from the person in charge of secret information (so called Securitatea) at the level of the institution. He (she was never heard) had the permission to interrogate you, to collect information about you from different sources and finally to say yes or no without any additional explanations. Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

7. Step 4: To receive the approval from the Department of External Relations from the Ministry of Education (the head of department had been nominated by Elena Ceausescu and had the task to inform her about the possible journey). • Step 5: To receive the approval of the University Party Centre of Bucharest. • Step 6: All five steps were needed in order to prepare a dossier that had to be presented to the Internal Ministry – Passport Service in order to obtain a Romanian visa. • Step 7: To receive the Romanian visa; to obtain the foreign visa from the designated country’s embassy in Romania. Source: Tripsa, 2003 in Wasted talents 2004: 47. Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

8. the effects of the communist ideology on R&D continued • central planning of R&D activities – division of research priorities among the Eastern block countries Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

9. effects on work life-balance • it was easier to achieve work-life balance • importance of cadre profile • central planning • less stress on performance • family responsibilities and traditional gender contract: • leeway for women from their involvement in Communist Party activities • traditional gender contract used as a subversion of the Communist emancipatory efforts Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

10. gender contract • equality of the sexes – an ideological ploy • equality meant approximation of women’s roles to men’s roles (especially on the labour market) • no examination or debate of the roles in the family • double burden – the Socialist Super Woman • impact on women’s perception of importance of work Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

11. paternalistic Communist regime • the regime assumed some responsibilities and roles traditionally ensure by men • de-masculinisation of men Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

12. women in R&D before 1989 • no statistics or studies • top positions not reached • politics: quotas in the Parliament • economics / R&D: cadre profiles and no quotas Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

13. transformation period • ‘return to the roots’ • demographic changes • drop in birth rate • second demographic transition • return to the western European reproductive model • postponement of parenthood and marriage Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

14. Table 1: birth rate between 1980and 2002 Czech Statistics Office Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

15. Table 2: age of mothers at first birth Czech Statistics Office Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

16. Degree of agreement with statements Definitely agree Agree Neither agree, nor disagree Disagree Definitely disagree Total A: A child is the fulfilment of a human life. Men 21 38 22 18 1 100 Women 27 33 19 19 2 100 Total 24 36 20 19 1 100 B: People who have never had children live an empty life. Men 21 30 26 16 7 100 Women 26 29 22 16 7 100 Total 24 29 24 16 7 100 C: To watch children grow up is the greatest joy in life. Men 49 36 12 3 0 100 Women 68 26 5 1 0 100 Total 60 30 8 2 0 100 Table 3: Importance of parenthood (%) Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

17. Table 5: some attitudes of the Czech population toward gender roles Rovne prilezitosti muzu a zen při sladovani práce a rodiny, Institute of Sociology AS CR, 2003 Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

18. shifts in opinion • women more liberal than men • youngest women are the most liberal • profound divergence in opinion Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

19. measure of conservatism and liberalism (UK, CZ, Norway) Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

20. R&D in transition • number of institutes of Academy of Sciences reduced • reduction in the research staff • new funding systems • under-funding • research and teaching continue to be separated • gender equality remains on the margin Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

21. work-life balance • gender stereotypes • positivist science • feminist epistemologies practically non-existent • perception of women on the labour market • new demands on productivity, long hours and geographical mobility Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

22. consequences • work-life balance issues are perceived as a personal, private issue of scientists-mothers • has effect on women scientists regardless of whether they do or do not have children • Impact on how women scientists arrange their careers Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

23. balancer or instrumental model • balancer model • work-life balance important • less career ambition • instrumental model • adopt the dominant approach – long hours, availability, masculine practices Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

24. potential development as the overall birth rate is falling and women and men are postponing parenting and marriage until later, the percentage of women in demanding jobs such as in research who will remain single or childless will grow unless a shift occurs in the institutional arrangements and policies and gender relations in the private sphere Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

25. 1991 2001 elementary Without secondary leaving exam With secondary leaving exam University Elementary Without secondary leaving exam With secondary leaving exam University 20 48.3 58.8 81.0 - 62.7 80.5 97.1 - 25 16.1 14.3 22.5 48.8 20.9 31.5 59.5 89.8 30 10.1 6.4 8.8 16.9 11.1 8.1 13.8 31.1 35 6.2 4.2 5.9 10.9 7.0 4.5 5.9 11.8 40 5.5 3.7 5.2 9.9 6.6 3.5 4.6 7.4 45 5.9 4.2 6.0 10.0 4.6 3.2 4.2 7.9 50 6.0 4.9 7.7 11.4 4.3 2.9 4.5 8.8 Table 6: The percentage of childless women according to age and educational level Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

26. Legislative framework and the impact of the EU accession process • work-life balance measures adopted, carried out but not follow-up and monitored abroad • they are not promoted from top down • Czech Republic • no work-life balance measures • personal issue • gender equality – lip service • result of EU pressure before enlargement Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

27. the only governmental measure 4.2. By means of future legislation on labour relations the minister of labour and social affairs shall make it possible to create variable work modes that will make it easier for employees caring for children and a family to harmonise their job with their family duties. Responsibility: minister of labour and social affairs Deadline: 31.12. 2002 Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

28. further consequences • inter-generational help no longer a viable solution • women staying on maternity leave longer than before – solution to unemployment (“hidden unemployment”) • drop in the number nurseries and kindergartens Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

29. concluding remarks • We are at a crossroad. • Unless work-life balance measures, including grants for returning parents, are implemented, we may see more women adopting the instrumental model and opting for childfreeness in the sciences or, alternatively, women will reduce their career ambition to be able to have families in science. Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?

30. www and contact • Marcela Linkova • URL: http://www.zenyaveda.cz • National Contact Centre for Women and Science Institute of Sociology, Academy of Sciences Czech Republic • address: Husova 7, Prague 1, Czech Republic • tel.: +420-222 222 322 • fax: +420-222 220 143 • email: marcela@zenyaveda.cz Work-life balance und wissenschaft - ein widerspruch?