Myisha Nawar
Due to sexual harassment, misogyny and bullying that plague these fields, careers in astronomy and physics are incredibly hard for women. In October 2015, astronomer Geoff Marcy of the University of California Berkeley was found to have violated policies on sexual harassment with allegations of unwanted massages, groping and kissing. In January this year, astrophysicist Christian Ott, of California Institute of Technology was reported to have violated the school’s policy with two graduate students working in his lab. Very few women in the field escape the clutches of harassment. Physical groping and sexual propositioning are common, as well as academic career-blocking by senior male academics.