Survey Quotes
(documenting the female experience)
"It feels like we are going backwards rather than forwards. This situation is not just bad for women, it is bad for men and it is bad for our understanding of people in the past. I think that a great deal of this is to do with lack of self-awareness amongst our male colleagues. Too many of them have simply not recognised or appreciated that their experience is that of privilege."
Female, 30 (14 years experience)
On working in the contract sector:
“In discussions with male colleagues about archaeology, career progression and the standards of other archaeologists, I often feel like I am being tolerated, but that my views are not really valid, or hold less weight than those of male counterparts. Fairly recently I pointed out in a meeting that I had the most excavation experience but I was always overlooked for bigger excavation projects. I was told: “yes, love, but you wouldn’t have a clue about wetland archaeology”.”
Female, 33 (15 years experience)
“One of the managers at work has made it clear that he feels women archaeologists cause problems on site in terms of welfare facilities and that they are less capable of dealing with difficult situations with clients”
“There are situations where the male workers are listened to more than female workers just because they are men, when actually the female workers would have come up with an equally suitable solution”
“I felt I wasn’t taken as seriously as male colleagues whilst working in one position, also the way I dressed was commented upon”
On working in academia:
“In my institution I have noticed that male postgraduates are more often ‘groomed’ for post-doctoral positions”
“It took me several years to get a job after completing my post-doc; there is more nepotism with males, who tend to get helped into jobs/post-docs etc.”
On the student experience:
"During my studies it was made clear to me that there were aspects of archaeology that were not deemed suitable for women (e.g. military archaeology), as they lacked the mental abilities."
Female, 39 (23 years experience)
"I remember being rather naïve to experiences on fieldwork where the male boss would expect a ‘holiday romance’ with student female diggers. Despite being a young adult I found this difficult to understand and foolishly did not take it seriously, whereas in fact the implications of rejecting such advances are detrimental to working at the institutions run by these people."
Female, 46 (27 years experience)
On the work/life balance:
“Poor contracts and working conditions would make having a baby, for example, impossible. I’d get no maternity leave, no sick pay and since the company I work for only lets you take holiday as you accrue it, very little holiday pay. If I wanted a family, or a house for that matter, I would have to leave archaeology.”
Female, 25
“I was hoping to [have kids] at one point, and an employer who very much wanted me to work for him said it was out of the question that I work part-time or work from home. I’d have chosen [to have] kids if it had been an option”
On promotion:
“Many of the women who graduated with me in 1990 were equally good, if not better field archaeologists, but they took longer to gain supervisory positions, and most have now sadly left archaeology altogether”
Male, 40 (23 years experience)
“It usually took women in field archaeology at least 3 years to be promoted to supervisor, whereas men typically were promoted within 6 months to 2 years”
“The attitudes I have encountered have probably caused me to experience more self-doubt and anxiety than my male peers. These feelings have affected the choices I have made in my career”
