By Hussein Moussa | Contributing Writer
In 2019, the American Economic Association (AEA) initiated a survey to evaluate the current state of the economics profession and collect insights regarding its professional climate, particularly emphasizing factors that impede inclusivity or contribute to a lack of civility in work environments. When asked about her graduate school experience in economics, one respondent answered, “Early in graduate school (first two years mostly), I was excluded from some social activities outside of the office where my male classmates and the male faculty formed some early informal bonds. Nobody thought to include me… Also, I was less likely to be promoted to “coauthor” from [Research Assistant] than my male classmates, even for the same work.”
There has been a long-standing argument that the field of economics hinders the participation of women in research and academia, creating obstacles to their entry and presenting additional barriers based on race. In 2017, a total of 1,150 economics PhDs were granted, with a mere seven of them being awarded to black women, a figure that has seen little progress over the past two decades.
Dr. Lisa Cook, a black economist with thirty years of experience, believes that the issue centers on a “pipeline” challenge, as more black female students studying economics in their undergraduate years are required to eventually achieve higher representation of black women as economics PhDs. However, to achieve this, more black females in middle and high school must enroll in advanced math classes. According to Dr. Cook, the issue stems from the fact that black females are not being sufficiently encouraged to take AP mathematics, a necessary first step toward majoring in economics as an undergraduate and ultimately at the Ph.D. level.
At the same time, there has been ongoing research by economists on how and why women, regardless of race, are considered to be “unwelcome” in the economics profession, more than any other STEM field. Dr. Shelly Lundberg, Distinguished Professor of Economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, asserts that the position of women in economics is intrinsically related to the topics that economists themselves study, such as how markets work. The assumptions that many economists make in their own theories and research may have led to the status quo of women in the profession.
As conservative economists argue for the belief that markets “exist and are functioning well”, they attribute the absence of women in economics to their supposed lack of motivation or competence, and the market will thus continue unaffected. Dr. Lundberg deduces from this that economists fail to grasp the implicit bias against women in the economics profession and tend to overlook the evidence supporting this bias in professional contexts. When the AEA formed a committee to monitor and support the advancement of women in economics, it sparked a significant ongoing debate between conservative economists advocating for a ‘free-market’ approach and activists pushing for greater transparency and professionalism in the field with regard to women’s status and access to the economics job market.
Therefore, it is crucial to promote and support more women in pursuing economics education and ensuring their long-term success. It is worth highlighting the effectiveness of programs that offer early information, role models, and mentoring, which are all great first steps to take. Additionally, efforts should be made to enhance the representation of women in graduate programs and faculty positions, while actively addressing implicit bias and dismantling barriers that hinder women’s entry and professional progress in the field of economics. In her book Women in the Economics Profession, Dr. Lundberg emphasizes the need to encourage more women to pursue economics training and support their success throughout their careers, suggesting that programs providing early information, role models, and mentoring can be effective.
Established in 2018, The Sadie Collective has emerged as a pivotal initiative dedicated to addressing the unique obstacles encountered by Black women in the field of economics. It actively confronts the pipeline and pathway challenges by implementing a range of programs that foster a sense of community, deliver skill-building workshops, and ensure access to valuable resources. Through strategic collaborations with diverse organizations, The Sadie Collective strives to establish fair and inclusive career trajectories, thereby enhancing economic outcomes for Black women. Furthermore, their advocacy efforts are aimed at promoting the visibility and inclusion of Black women in this domain and underscoring the role played by mentorship and professional opportunities in their advancement.