Gender Differences in Academia & COVID-19

Abstract

Despite noticeable progress in recent years towards increasing representation of female academics at all career levels, gender disparities in opportunity, institutional support, and inclusivity remain in academia. For early-career scholars, these gender differences in work climate can manifest as disparities in opportunity, lack of access to resources, and a myriad of other inequitable factors that can hinder opportunity for success.

With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the incommensurate experiences of women in academia have only been exacerbated, widening the gap that women have spent decades working tirelessly to close. To examine the extent to which women have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, we present the results of an international pilot study of assistant professors, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students (N=199) who reported how the pandemic has affected their research progress and productivity, as well as their mental health. We found that within the past year, female early-career academics experienced significantly greater declines in both productivity and mental health than their male colleagues. As research progress translates to publications and, thus, career advancement, this hindrance in productivity may lead to greater challenges for early-career female academics for years to come; recognizing this, we will discuss the importance of creating an inclusive work climate in academic departments that acknowledges disparities and actively works to equitably promote the work and success of all scholars, especially after the pandemic.

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