Female supervisor as role model
In her environment, van Berkel had no direct examples of people working in science. 'So my passion came mainly from my eagerness to learn. I studied in the 1990s, and most of the lecturers were men. But when I started my PhD, I had a female supervisor. She was a role model for me, not just because of her intellectual drive. But she was also a role model because she had children in addition to her academic career and always talked at length about them.'
It showed van Berkel that the combination is possible. 'And why shouldn't it be? But if you don't have examples around you, it can seem unattainable. There was a whole generation of female scientists who worked in science, but often did not choose to have a family.' van Berkel herself combines her job with caring for her two daughters.
Looking at her career, van Berkel does not feel she has had a harder time because she is a woman. She is, however, aware of the systems that can work against other women. 'Such as the well-known Old Boys Network, or the fact that women are often rated lower and need to outperform men to advance. And that as a young woman, you are taken less seriously. Here at Radboud University in history, I was the first female department chair, and I'm not even that old.'
Filling in blind spots
As a professor, van Berkel values sharing her knowledge and network with others. That is why she serves as vice chair of the Radboud Network of Female Professors. ‘We deal with classic topics such as the pay gap and the underrepresentation of female professors.’ The network also fights for broader diversity within science than just the gender division. 'If you have a reflection of society in science, you function much better. After all, everyone has blind spots, and so you fill in each other's blind spots.'
To young women, but also men in science, van Berkel would advise: ‘Don't pin yourself down to a particular career path and try to enjoy the work itself and every step. A scientific career does not always lead straightforwardly to a certain position, and it is quite difficult to secure a permanent contract. This is not always your fault either, but can also have to do with money and capacity.' That's why van Berkel advises enjoying the steps you do manage to take. 'And to my younger self I would say “Be a bit more sure of yourself”. Although doubting yourself is very human.'