Schneeläuferin

What is a gender data gap? A gender data gap occurs when one gender is neglected in scientific studies. This usually affects women, who suffer disadvantages as a result. A well-known example is the use of crash test dummies to research the effects of traffic accidents on the human body. The figures usually correspond in height and weight to an average male adult body, to which the positions of the seat belts and airbags are then adjusted. - Bad for all those who are on average smaller, lighter or differently built. Hannah Cooke's snow runner carpet, on the other hand, shows how important it is to consider as many perspectives as possible in research. She refers to a study in Sweden, which Caroline Criado-Perez cites as one of many examples in her book Invisible Women: as in most snowy areas, the roads were cleared of snow first thing in the morning to allow commuting drivers (who are still predominantly men) to drive freely. The sidewalks, on the other hand, which are mainly used by those taking children to nursery or school or walking to the shops (and these are still predominantly women), often remained icy until well into the morning. If you reverse the order of snow shoveling, you can see that far fewer pedestrians have accidents, which has a positive impact on the health system in the long term.

(Statement by Dr. Nicole Grothe, Museum Ostwall)

This work is part of a series dealing with the gender data gap.