On the Program: A Gender Equality Initiative and Professional Visibility at Academic Conferences
Abstract: Persistent gender disparities characterize scientific careers. We study a gender equality initiative implemented at a leading academic conference, a key stage in researchers' careers where visibility, reputation, and professional networks are shaped. Using a difference-in-differences design that compares two major conferences within the same discipline, we show that a time-limited initiative encouraging the appointment of women as paper discussants led to a sharp but temporary increase in female representation in this prestigious role. The increase did not come at the expense of quality: female discussants on the conference program during the initiative had stronger publication records and comparable expertise-paper matches. The initiative increased female representation across the seniority distribution, with the largest gains among senior women, where pre-initiative underrepresentation was most severe. Senior women also took on a disproportionate number of conference roles. Over time, the pool of selected women broadened modestly to include scholars from lower-ranked institutions, and matched evidence is consistent with subsequent recognition gains for both senior and junior women. Our findings show that leadership-driven gender equality initiatives can meaningfully alter representation in high-profile academic roles, but that their effects are not necessarily self-sustaining.
Selected Presentations: ESE Cheapthrills 2024, TU Munich 2025, University of Melbourne 2025, FBA Conference 2025.