Irene Bolognino shines a spotlight on the challenges of motherhood in academia

Irene Bolognino wants to build awareness of how to create a supportive environment for mothers returning to academia..

The reality for women who combine science careers with motherhood is no walk in the park, according to physicist and mother Irene Bolognino. The University of Adelaide dark matter lecturer believes that a work environment that considers the need of a new mother is therefore crucial.

Dr Bolognino gave birth to her son in 2023 and returned to work after 24 weeks of maternity leave. She was not only the first mother to work as an academic in the particle physics department of her university, but also the first female academic.

She describes the transition as ‘tough’, especially after sleepless nights and illness in the family. However, she hopes that by speaking openly about her experience, she can help create a more welcoming environment for women returning to academia after maternity leave.

"Coming back to work was a real challenge, because a job in academia is very dynamic, but it is feasible in a supportive environment," she said.

“I want to talk about the experience, and I think that’s a good starting point to improve things.

“If we look at the numbers of female academics in STEM disciplines, it is clear that achieving gender parity is still a long way off. In fact, the number of women decreases dramatically as seniority increases, which also indicates a difficulty in balancing an academic career and family."

At a recent event for the Dark Matter Centre, where she is a member of the mentoring committee, Dr Bolognino was asked by several female students about her experience.

"They were worried that they wouldn’t be able to have a family in the future if they pursue to work in academia. They asked me what my secret was, as if there was some trick (beyond being organised, of course) by which, I manage to have a family without compromising my career.

“This concept may also derive from stereotypes inculcated in women over the years to convince women that they can have it all - both a career and a family - and that this is entirely up to them. Thus, those who cannot achieve both (even if they want to), think it is their fault. The point is that there are several factors that play a key role in making it possible to combine a career and family, the work environment, among them” she said.

In fact, Dr Bolognino says it should not be the role of mothers to create an equitable workplace on their own, and that organisations, colleagues, and new parents need to work together.

She considers herself fortunate to have gained significant support from her colleagues, both from the University of Adelaide and the Dark Matter Centre, which helped make her transition back into the office easier.

She wants women to know the workplace culture, including the support of colleagues, is a crucial factor in their ability to combine motherhood with work.

“The environment that I returned to played a primary role in my experience. When I came back, I was exclusively breastfeeding my baby so that meant I had to pump during the day, which is physically and mentally demanding. It made a big difference that everyone was very supportive throughout my pregnancy and return to work.”

"I have always been provided with a private space in the office when expressing breastmilk, consecutive meetings have been avoided so that I had the time to express between, and I am able to attend online meetings if they are not part of standard working hours and I have to pick up my son from childcare," she said.

Other gestures that Dr Bolognino appreciated included a gift of a steriliser from one colleague, and the donation of a microwave for sterilising bottles in the office.

"Unfortunately, I did not encounter collaborative attitudes in all situations; for example, I was unable to attend an important conference overseas because it was in-person only, with no possibility of making any exceptions for online participants. I had a high-risk pregnancy and couldn't travel for medical reasons, and that was disappointing, because we know how important giving talks at conferences is for academic careers."

“However, since becoming a mother, despite the tiredness and motherhood duties, I have organised and attended conferences both nationally and overseas and I’m very committed to my work.

“It is not true that mothers are no less committed or productive than fathers or childless peers. This is an assumption that it is wrong and damaging.”

Dr Bolognino says awareness, understanding and communication can help mothers and their colleagues navigate some of the challenges and obstacles.

“I think it’s important that colleagues are aware that new challenges exist, and small changes can make a big difference to new mothers. These changes can help to reduce the gender gap in some environments, including academia."

"Thankfully, there is an increasing emphasis on hiring staff from under-represented categories, but people are sometimes unprepared to meet the specific needs that these people have.

“Diversity can bring a lot of value to an organisation because each individual has a lot to offer.

“It requires effort, but by creating an environment that supports the mental health of mothers – or any diverse workers – those individuals are able to give their best.”

She believes visibility can make be influential, showing younger women that it is possible to pursue an academic career while also having a family.

“If there are more female academics who talk about combining academia with family, it shows that it is feasible, and means that women don’t feel that they need to try another career path where it’s possible to have both.

“I don’t want to be another person telling women they can do it all, but we need to talk so that everyone understands the challenges and needs and can do what they can to create a supportive and equitable workplace for everyone.”