Women working in physics navigate unique challenges that your male colleagues rarely have to consider. This practical, research-based guide will help you tackle the various issues you are likely to encounter during your education and career in academia or industry. With each chapter focusing on a specific problem, the guidance is presented in a question-and-answer format that allows you to navigate directly to the advice you need. Chapters address a broad range of challenges, from thriving as a student and interviewing for jobs to improving self-confidence and timing maternity leave. Focus is placed on immediate and practical advice with the intention of constructing a positive framework that helps you improve your circumstances in an imperfect environment. Enriched with advice and stories from a group of women physicists with diverse experiences, the book provides you with the necessary tools and support for continuing your journey with confidence.

‘A how-to book, with lots of excellent advice! It will be useful for the overworked, overlooked, and isolated person (aka female) in a male-majority workplace.’

Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell - Professor, University of Oxford

‘This handbook fills a real need. Research in physics education consistently shows that women often step away from the field not for any lack of ability, but because the culture leads them to doubt that they belong: capable women routinely report lower self-efficacy than male peers who are performing less well. Berry, McCullough, and Porter turn that evidence into clear, actionable guidance women can use right now, paired with candid stories from physicists who have navigated these challenges themselves. The question-and-answer format lets readers find help exactly when they need it. I recommend it warmly to students, researchers, and everyone who mentors women in physics.’

Chandralekha Singh - Distinguished Professor, University of Pittsburgh

‘Having studied the culture of physics higher education for more than three decades, I consider this book to be one of the most comprehensive, practical, and evidence-based resources available for supporting women in physics. It provides actionable guidance and relatable anecdotes for every stage of a physicist's career—from building confidence and navigating higher education to negotiating, mentoring, teaching, balancing work and family responsibilities, responding to harassment, and leading institutional change—while equipping readers with language and strategies they can use immediately. Equally important, it recognizes that creating a more inclusive physics community is a shared responsibility, offering indispensable guidance to anyone committed to fostering inclusive STEM learning and work environments. This is more than a handbook—it is a roadmap for transforming both individual careers and the culture of physics, and it deserves to become a standard reference throughout the community.’

Maria Ong - Senior Research Scientist and Evaluator, TERC