Sir

The difficulties facing women and under-represented minorities in science and engineering are highlighted in your Naturejobs Special Reports 'Beyond the glass ceiling' and 'Closing the gender gap' (Nature 448, 98–100 and 101–102; 2007). But women from developing countries who work abroad face additional problems, which are not addressed by efforts to help either women or minorities.

During our studies and beyond, we face financial troubles, assumptions of ineptitude by faculty members, harassment and lack of mentoring. In a survey I conducted among 13 women who graduated from the Indian Institutes of Technology and went to the United States, several reported problems with supervisors, including harassment or having to switch supervisors; two of them eventually left research because of lack of support. On top of that, the stress caused by problems with elderly family members at home can be enormous and is not always understood by people in Western societies, whose family ties and responsibilities may differ. Visa problems are also not unusual.

For those of us who return to our home countries, there are more hurdles to clear. Institutions in many developing countries do not open their doors easily to women, even if they actively seek out and recruit men who have studied abroad. Often it is hard to find a position that is appropriate for our education and experience. And the styles of working abroad and at home can be very different.

To make the best use of our talents and training — whether in the United States, Europe or elsewhere — a full survey of our concerns should be conducted and used to frame new policies and instil change within academic culture.