A new study has shown, pretty definitively, what a lot of women in the sciences already know — that even though more and more women are getting degrees in the applied sciences, they aren’t getting the jobs afterwards, particularly in academics.
The study, by Corinne Moss-Racusin and other contributors from Yale University, was a double-blind experiment, where academic scientists were given the application materials for a student applying to a lab manager position. The resumes themselves were the same, the only differential was that some applications had male attached, while others had female. The person doing the hiring was then asked some questions about this applicant — what is their perceived competence, hireability, and how likely would you be to mentor them, as well as what they would offer as a starting salary.
As this graph from the study shows, the female students were marked significantly lower on all three, regardless of whether or not the person hiring was male or female. But it gets even worse!
THIS graph shows how much they were willing to pay women. And it’s SIGNIFICANT. I am seriously appalled that we’re in 2012 and this is what people think female scientists are worth. Remember, nothing on the application was different except for the name! I hope this study is a major shock to the scientific community, and they completely reconsider their hiring practices, because this should not be happening.
