Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP16686
Authors: Emmanuelle Auriol; Guido Friebel; Alisa Weinberger; Sascha Wilhelm
Abstract: Based on a data set that we collected from the top research institutions ineconomics around the globe (including universities, business schools and other organizationssuch as central banks), we document the underrepresentation of womenin economics. For the 238 universities and business schools in the sample, womenhold 25% of senior level positions (full professor, associate professor) and 37% ofjunior level positions. In the 82 U.S. universities and business schools, the figuresare 20% on the senior level and 32% on the entry level, while in the 122 Europeaninstitutions, the numbers are 27% and 38%, respectively, with some heterogeneityacross countries. The numbers also show that the highest-ranking institutions (interms of research output) have fewer women in senior positions. Moreover, in theU.S., this effect is even present on the junior level. The “leaky pipeline” may hencebegin earlier than oftentimes assumed, and is even more of an issue in the highlyintegrated market of the U.S. In Europe, an institution ranked 100 places higherhas three percentage points fewer women in senior positions, but in the U.S. it isalmost 5 percentage points.
Keywords: gender equality; academic hierarchies; leaky pipeline
JEL Codes: A11; J16
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Institutional ranking (A14) | Proportion of women in senior positions (J16) |
| Higher-ranked institutions (I23) | Fewer women in senior positions (J16) |
| Systemic biases in hiring and promotion practices (J71) | Women less likely to achieve tenure (J16) |
| Cultural and institutional contexts (Z10) | Gender disparities in economics (J16) |
| Leaky pipeline effect (J63) | Underrepresentation of women in economics (J16) |