Scientists 'should be beyond sexism'

A senior New Zealand scientists says the public outcry over comments by the British Nobel prize winning scientist, Sir Tim Hunt, shows the science industry is beginning to grasp its problem with sexism.

Sir Tim's comments about women working in science laboratories included him saying that when women are criticised, they cry.

Senior lecturer at Victoria University's School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Dr Nicola Gaston said that scientists should be beyond sexism.

"Sexism in science in general is systemic, it's not about the attitudes of individuals, but it does let these types of attitudes and statements go quite unchallenged because we often see ourselves as much more objective and fairer than we are."