The gender equality paradox that wasn't

Do women seek STEM jobs mostly because they "have" to? A viral study and popular talking point rests on shaky methodology.

Spend enough time in online spaces, and you may come across a compelling — and counterintuitive — narrative: Sexism and repressive gender norms aren’t to blame for women being underrepresented in STEM fields relative to their population share. The real reason, or so this narrative goes, is that women are finally free not to enter STEM fields at all. This account stems from a 2018 study in which the authors measured indicators of women’s science participation against the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index. The headline finding is the so-called gender equality paradox, or the…

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• John Mathena

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