This quote was taken from the report “Harassment in Dutch academia. Exploring manifestations, facilitating factors, effects and solutions” (Naezer et al.,2019), commissioned by the Dutch Network of Women Professors (LNVH).
“I feel that the fact that I’m a woman influences how much I’m allowed to grow in my work. I hate to say this, because it feels like I’m making up an excuse. […] But since [I’ve become a mother], I do see: you hardly get any support. And I don’t need anybody holding my hand, but I would like some support with getting my career back on track. But that did not happen. […] Instead, they started questioning my loyalty, my career, my ambitions. [The manager’s remarks and questions] show that he has this image of me, this stigma of the working mother who can’t do anything but administrative work. It’s not that I look down upon administrative work, but this does mean that I’m not allowed to participate in academic discussions, that I will never be given the opportunity to write a grant application.”
