Ecology is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and the environment around them. It is an important branch of study, exploring how animals, plants, the land, climate and humans are interconnected. But a study of 13 leading journals in ecology over 75 years has shown that in this field, women researchers are seriously under-represented. So are countries in the global South – even those with excellent scientists. Kenya and South Africa were the only African countries represented among the authors in these journals. And only 11% of the authors were women.
This is important because the world cannot afford to neglect the perspectives and experiences of women and global South researchers in addressing the global climate and environmental crisis. A more balanced view is needed to inform practical interventions.
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The study examined the gender and affiliations of 1051 top-authors, those scientists with the most publications in 13 leading ecology and conservation journals. The results show that women and the Global South are barely represented on this list. The overall list of top authors included only 11% women, while 75% of the articles were related to just five countries in the Global North, says Bea Maas, lead author from the University of Vienna. This massive imbalance in scientific authorship is extremely concerning, especially in the field of ecology and conservation, where diverse perspectives are needed to address global climate and environmental challenges, Maas emphasizes.