Economics is a hostile environment for women, conference hears

Many female economists feel that the profession is hostile to them, several speakers argued at a conference organised by three major central banks.

Panelists analysed a survey published by the American Economic Association earlier this year, which found a majority of women economists in the US felt underrepresented and disrespected. For instance, only 16% of the female AEA members who answered the survey think they are respected within the field, the survey found. A strong majority of 63% have felt disrespected by their economist colleagues.

Members of the economics profession “should represent the society they want to shape,” said Sarah Smith from the University of Bristol in the UK. “Diversity matters enormously. For instance, people from different backgrounds may come to various conclusions on the effect of government intervention in the economy.

“As a result, if important parts of our society are not present, policies may become blind to their necessities,” added Smith, who sits on the Royal Economic Society’s Women’s Committee.

The discussion took place in the conference Gender and career progression, jointly organised by the European Central Bank, the Bank of England and the Federal Reserve in Frankfurt today (October 21)

In addition to professional barriers, in the AEA’s study 2% of women say they had been assaulted by other economists or economics students. And 6% said they had been the victim of an attempted assault, while 12% said they had been touched in a way that made them feel uncomfortable.

Up to 42% of female economists said they had heard or overheard another economist or a student make inappropriate, sexual or suggestive remarks at some point over the past 10 years.

“There have been efforts to train women to operate in a male-dominated world, which does not seem to work,” said Guido Friebel, professor at Goethe University Frankfurt and member of the Standing Committee on Women in Economics. “It may work the other way around, but here we face the very limitations of that approach. Males do not show up to events like this one.”

A similar argument was used by Renée Adams, from Oxford University. “It’s great that the ECB is hosting this event, but also disappointing that so few men are present,” she said. “It is important to create a climate where men do not feel attacked when it is denounced, for instance, that few women take part in panels, while women feel free to make a point about their situation.”

Friebel argued in favour of proactive management policies. For instance, rather than just opening academic and professional positions and wait for women to apply, managers should work harder to get better and more diverse applicants. But he admitted that that would that entail “more time and effort in hiring”.

Another problem is the selection of speaking candidates in seminars, or the composition of committees selecting discussion papers, says Adams. “When you approach people organising a panel with no women, most times they say they have not invited any because they do not know them,” she said. “So what we have done is compile a list of qualified women economists that could be panellists, and assess papers, and people are starting to call them.”

Friebel warned about a political and cultural backlash emerging in Europe that may pose new challenges in the near future. “There are strong forces in society getting a lot of representation, like AFD [Far-right party Alternative for Germany],” said Friebel. “We need to outsmart these people and dismantle arguments such as that women get unfair advantages.”

In order to make sustained progress, specific targets may make a difference. “What is diversity? We need to name it, otherwise there is no way to hold folks accountable,” said Rhonda Sharpe from the Women’s Institute for Science, Equity and Race in the US. “If we are talking about women, we need to specify the goals we are aiming for.”