Some 70 professional societies came together to work on making science, technology, education, math, and medicine fields harassment free.
SPIE joined leaders from some 70 professional societies in Washington, D.C., on 1 October to discuss the issue of harassment in the science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medical (STEMM) fields. The meeting was hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Geophysical Union (AGU), and EducationCounsel (EC).
We came together to share concerns and needs, discuss policies and frameworks, and make plans to continue the discussion by developing a consortium of societies for professional conduct to prevent and address sexual harassment in STEMM. In coming months, the consortium will work collectively to develop customizable model frameworks for systems, policies, and practices to combat sexual harassment and a toolkit of practical resource materials for use by societies and institutions.
We can – and will – collectively respond to address sexual harassment, as recommended in the National Academies’ June 2018 consensus report.