Fortunately, gender harassment is no longer considered to be harmless nor is its practice acceptable. Such behaviour can constitute a violation of the Charter of Human Rights, and those individuals who discriminate on the basis of gender, as well as their employee, can be held accountable for their actions through the judiciary process. Moreover, the University of Saskatchewan has a sexual harassment policy to deal with the gender discrimination that creates a poisoned environment for a woman's (or a man's) work or study.

While there are certainly too few women on campus and too many of us working or studying in such environments, there is, nonetheless, a bright side to the picture. In the last year or two, a number of groups of women in science have emerged across the campus. These groups are organizing to offer support other women in science, sponsor workshops and seminars and increase the level of awareness of the difficulties faced by women on campus. Undergraduate female students in the College of Arts and Science have joined together in a group called WINS (Women in the Natural Sciences). A number of engineering students have formed an Encouraging Enrollment in Engineering Committee, whose focus has been on female students. Dean I. McDonald of the College of Medicine appointed female faculty to a Women in Academic Medicine Committee and a career mentoring program geared to female high school students was launched by several established organizations, including the National Hydrology Research Centre. A group of female graduate students meet as the No Name Grad Group; a Support Group for Women in Science and a Women in the Sciences group sprung up independently last year, and are collaborating in a number of common areas of interest. In addition, a number of women from associated research institutions on campus are forming their own group or joining up with others.

The formation of some of these groups was aided by a series of workshops sponsored by the Women's Program section of the Extension Division and called "You've Come Along Way, Maybe." Two workshop in particular "Women in Science: Issues and Actions" and "The Burning Desk: Women in the Workplace" featuring Dr. Rose Sheinin and Nicole Morgan, respectively, were well received and timely.

The birth of these women's science groups may have been catalyzed by the discontent regarding equity issues in our individual places of work and study and by the belief that our new president, J.W.G. Ivany, is sensitive to "women's issues". The President's Adviser Committee on the Status of Women was formed in November, 1990 after representatives from various campus committees concerned with women's equity issues met with Dr. Ivany. In addition, an Employment Equity Advisory Committee has been created, and an agreement in principle to the formation of a Women's and Gender Studies Department has been achieved.

The overall political, if not economic, climate on campus appears to be conducive for change for the benefit of both women and men. We continue to be determined, active and optimistic in improving our individual places of work and study to meet the egalitarian model which should exist everywhere on the university campus.

Lillian E. Dyck is a co-Chair of the Women's Studies Research Unit, and a research scientist in the Neuropsychiatry research Unit in the Department of Psychiatry, at the University of Saskatchewan. She wishes to thank Glenis Joyce, Extension Division, University of Saskatchewan, for inspiration and for mental stimulation and support. A number of women from various science backgrounds on campus have contributed in different ways to this article.