Dr Zuleyka Zevallos

In academia, theorisation of "women's issues" are dominated by a lens of Whiteness. "Knowledge is never innocent or neutral. It is a key to power and meaning. It is used to dominate and control." - Prof Moreton-Robinson challenged White representations of womanhood #StridentWomen

TW rape: Good case in point is Prof Moreton-Robinson's discussion of how White women (Diane Bell in this case, writing on rape in Indigenous communities) will use their own understandings of gender to speak as an authority, dictating their will on Indigenous women. #StridentWomen

Why does this continue to matter? Well, because when the Chief Scientist tells #StridentWomen to focus on "progress" and to tell better stories about the "numbers"of women in STEM not only are the numbers woeful, they are stratified along race (& other dynamics for minority #WOC)

Only one-quarter of associate professors & above are Indigenous. Number of Indigenous people in academia goes up to 1,200 people when counting both teaching and research roles as well as professional and support roles. Of these, 68% are men & only 32% are women. #StridentWomen

I've previously discussed how women's work in general is devalued; Indigenous people's more so. "Indigenous academics must not be sidelined in meaningless roles that do not provide them the opportunity to develop and contribute to the academy to their full potential." - ATSIHEAC

In 2004, a report showed investment needed radical increase, through grants & bursaries, especially to encourage Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander women into STEM. http://science.uniserve.edu.au/usydcst/black&white.pdf … 14 years later, #WomenInScience funding exclusively benefits White women. #StridentWomen

Research on #WOC shows that racial minority women scientists deal with double jeopardy - racism & sexism. Black women have to constantly prove their credentials. Latin women are seen as "angry & emotional" if they are not deferential. #StridentWomen http://www.uchastings.edu/news/articles/2015/01/williams-double-jeopardy-report.php …