Gender Inequity, the Physics Meritocracy and the Need for an Intersectional Lens

Gender equity continues to elude the physics profession world-wide despite many efforts over a couple of decades now to mitigate inequity and null the gender gap. While the evidence suggests complex multiple  and culture-specific factors drive the gender gap,  the gap in  numbers is only the most visible symptom of gender-based discrimination. Measures to address the problem will be effective  and long-lasting only if they go byeond addressing  just the gap in numbers by confronting the structural and systemic drivers of inequity. This  implies, inter alia, interrogating the notion of merit, and scrutinising measures to enhance equity, diversity and inclusion  with an intersectional lens. In this talk point to several strands of evidence  to substantiate these claims.