DLSPH professor examines how gender and race impact research productivity
November 4/2024
Study in the Lancet by Aggarwal and Wong on how gender and race impact research productivity inspires $40,000 SSHRC grant for follow up.
By Elaine Smith
Racialized women working in primary care research face significant barriers to research productivity, according to a recent study titled “Will they always be living the Sisyphus punishment? The triple whammy for racialized women: a qualitative investigation of primary care researchers in Canada” which was published in the October 2024 issue of the Lancet.
Assistant Professor Monica Aggarwal, in clinical public health at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH), and fellow researcher Prof. Sabrina T. Wong at the University of British Columbia (UBC), conducted the study based on their own experiences as racialized female researchers. In September 2024, Aggarwal and her colleagues Sabrina T. Wong (UBC), Gina Agarwal (McMaster University), Barnini Bhattacharyya (Western University), Tanvir Turin Chowdhury (University of Calgary), Aisha Lofters (DLSPH), Ivy Bourgeault (University of Ottawa), Kristina Kokorelias (University of Toronto), and Andrea Tricco (DLSPH) received a $40,000 grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) to delve further into this issue.
“Our initial study revealed how systemic bias and institutional culture significantly hinder racialized female primary care researchers,” said Aggarwal. “The findings affirmed to me that I am not alone, helping me to break free from being the ‘anti-hero’ in my own story.”
Aggarwal noted that the Lancet study is the first to uncover how systemic bias and institutional culture — including racism, sexism, and unconscious bias — act as significant barriers to research productivity for racialized women in primary care in Canada. Furthermore, the challenges increase in severity for women who are also caregivers, something the researchers call the “triple whammy.” They face barriers that include underrepresentation in faculty roles, toxic work environments, unrealistic productivity metrics, and exclusion from key research opportunities.
The study identifies a variety of strategies that can be employed by institutional and systems leaders to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. Some institutional strategies include hiring equity-focused leaders, providing diversity training, establishing mentorship programs, creating flexible, psychologically safe workplaces, offering meaningful support (funding, recognition etc.), and protecting research time. Funders can offer targeted grant opportunities for women and racialized researchers, adjust performance metrics to account for gender, race, and parenthood and include measures for collaboration. Public reporting of faculty diversity data can be tied to accreditation and funding decisions.
“This new study is driven by a commitment to shining the light on the unique barriers faced by racialized women in academia throughout their career journey. As a racialized early-career researcher and parent, this study is deeply personal and rooted in my own struggles navigating the barriers within academia.”
The goal of the study, which will explore demographic characteristics and experiences of primary care and public health racialized female researchers at various career stages, is “to identify targeted solutions at entry, faculty, and leadership levels to break down these barriers and foster a more diverse and inclusive workforce,” Aggarwal says.
“My hope for this research is to empower these women, showing them that they are not alone and that their voices and actions carry the power to drive real change. For leaders, I hope this research sparks action on the implementation of evidence-based strategies that lead to lasting progress – creating a future where women at all stages in their academic careers can thrive.”
She encourages other racialized women to have hope. “While others may dismiss your concerns or try to undermine your capability to fight inequity, I urge you to challenge injustice and advocate for systemic change. You, too, can rise to the highest academic positions and offices,” Aggarwal says.