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Women working in polar regions: Breaking barriers in the final frontier

A history of women in the polar research community and the current status of women in the field

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 August 2025

Alexis Oxborough Open the ORCID record for Alexis Oxborough [Opens in a new window]
Alexis Oxborough*
Affiliation:
Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
*
Corresponding author: Alexis Oxborough; Email: oxborough@wisc.edu
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Abstract

The polar regions are famous for being inhospitable, difficult to access, and one of the final frontiers for exploration. The late 19th and early 20th centuries were filled with explorers seeking the achievement of being the first person to the Pole. These harrowing stories have action and adventure but lack a critical component: women. Women historically have not played a primary role in polar research or exploration. Many barriers to access existed such as prejudice, lack of education opportunity, and physical restrictions. Today, women have better access to the Antarctic and Arctic for research and research support but still face barriers to equitable participation. A “boys club” environment in stations can lead to women being excluded or subjected to sexual harassment. Despite this, the addition of women is shown to improve team dynamics, morale, and the culture within research stations. Women’s representation in polar research is better today than it’s ever been, yet there is still improvement being made for the future.

Keywords

AntarcticaArcticpolar researchwomenleadership

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Polar Record , Volume 61 , 2025 , e18
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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