Page - 33 - in Critical Issues in Science, Technology and Society Studies - Conference Proceedings of the 17th STS Conference Graz 2018

Fig. 5. An average duration of parental leave in days in interdependence to the employee´s gender and age (figure 5.A) and in interdependence to the employee´s qualification stage and age (both genders m/f) (figure 5.B) The duration of parental leave increases with age (m/f) among employees, who have no doctorate and those who have received a postdoctoral lecture qualification. Whilst the researchers with a postdoctoral lecture qualification claim a significantly shorter parental leave between the age of 31 to 35 years (less than 50 days), this duration more than triples between the age of 41 to 50 years (on average 175 days). The number of employees having a doctorate remains almost the same in every age category. There is no difference between the fixed-term and the permanent employees or the stage of the clinical career with regards to the duration of parental leave. These results lead to the conclusion that gender among of all analyzed factors has the greatest influence on the claim and the duration of parental leave. We came to the conclusion, that male academic staff claims parental leave infrequently and for shorter periods of time, comparing to female ones. 3.2. Findings on the benefits through mentoring The academic sphere is governed by a strict game that functions according to a peculiar long- standing game manual, which remains invisible, intransparent and unclear especially for the early stage researchers who are newcomers in the field. Nowadays, researchers have to pass through certain qualification steps in their academic careers in a limited period of time, which lasts twelve years (case Germany). The famous rush hour of life for female researchers between 30-40 years is the peak of the intensive scientific career and simultaneously the time to plan their family and raise children. This strict system disadvantages the underrepresented group of female researchers in particular, for whom twelve years are often insufficient to reach a leading position in academia. Mentoring as a measure against discrimination The SelmaMeyerMentoring program was initiated and developed by the central equal opportunities officer and endorsed by the university management. The president of the university is traditionally a patron of the program and many professors are eager to ready to be mentors for the younger researchers. 33