Celine d'Orgeville, Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University Gender equity issues in astronomy: facts, fiction, and what the Adaptive Optics community can do to close the gap In March 2013, Nature published a special issue dedicated to "Women in Science", exploring why, in spite of significant progress in the last few decades, "women scientists are still paid less, promoted less frequently, win fewer grants and are more likely to leave research than similarly qualified men." (http://www.nature.com/news/specials/women/index.html#editorial). Indeed the gender gap looms large in most, if not all scientific and engineering fields, and astronomy is no exception to this state of affairs. In our field, "Women in Astronomy" chapters of national associations such as the American Astronomical Society and the Astronomical Society of Australia bring gender equity issues closer to home by actively gathering data about the astronomical gender gap (pun intended), informing the astronomical community about gender equity issues, exploring and promoting solutions at the individual as well as institutional levels. This presentation brings the discussion to the Adaptive Optics community doorstep. Its aim is three-fold: (1) Raising awareness about the gender gap in science and astronomy in general, and in Adaptive Optics in particular; (2) Providing a snapshot of real and/or perceived causes for the gender gap existing in science and engineering; and (3) Presenting a range of practical solutions which have been or are being implemented at various institutions in order to bridge this gap and increase female participation at all levels of the scientific entreprise.