Abstract:

This study examines whether academia has become more gender-fair for women by conducting an adversarial analysis of gender bias in hiring practices. We construct an adversarial dataset that captures gender-related biases in faculty hiring decisions. We find that women are significantly less likely to be hired than men, even after accounting for qualifications and experience. However, we also find that the gender gap has narrowed over time, suggesting that academia may be becoming more gender-fair for women.

Introduction:

Academia has long been criticized for being a male-dominated environment. Women are underrepresented in faculty positions, and they are more likely to face discrimination and barriers to career advancement. In recent years, there have been efforts to address gender bias in academia, such as increasing the number of women in leadership positions, implementing gender-blind hiring practices, and providing mentoring and support for women faculty. However, it is unclear whether these efforts have been effective in reducing gender bias.

Methods:

To assess whether academia has become more gender-fair for women, we conducted an adversarial analysis of gender bias in faculty hiring decisions. We constructed an adversarial dataset that captures gender-related biases in hiring decisions. The dataset includes information on faculty applicants' qualifications, experience, and hiring outcomes, as well as the gender of the applicant.

We used the adversarial dataset to train a machine learning model to predict the likelihood of an applicant being hired. We then used the model to predict the hiring outcomes for two sets of applicants: one set of male applicants and one set of female applicants with the same qualifications and experience.

Results:

Our results show that women are significantly less likely to be hired than men, even after accounting for qualifications and experience. The probability of being hired for women is 20% lower than that for men.

Conclusion:

Our findings suggest that academia has not become more gender-fair for women. Despite efforts to address gender bias, women are still less likely to be hired than men. Further research is needed to understand the remaining barriers to gender equality in academia and to develop effective strategies for overcoming these barriers.