This article was published in TSE science magazine, TSE Mag. It is part of the Autumn 2023 issue, dedicated to “The World of Work”. Discover the full PDF here and email us for a printed copy or your feedback on the mag, there.
Why did you become an economist?
When I began my career, in the 1990s, the feminization of economics had just started. There were very few, if any, women professors. It was quite difficult to envision a career in this field with no women to look up to.
But I chose this path because I found people who believed in me, beyond my gender, like Jean-Jacques Laffont. He thought that things were bound to change now that women were getting the same level of education as men.
And did things change?
Today, many intelligent, skilled and resourceful women graduate from college, and yet very few manage to climb the ladder. In economics, the glass ceiling is statistically formidable.
With several women researchers, I decided to work on the topic of women in economics to show how complex discrimination can be.
Why is it important to document this discrimination?
The only way to change things is to document them. Once you give people facts, they must face them. Using an unbiased scientific approach that delivers facts and evidence is the only way to be heard on such an important issue.
Discrimination can be tricky to prove because it is self-fulfilling. Does it exist because of biological differences? Because women have children while working? This does affect their career because they put it on hold momentarily. However, I strongly believe that it makes women more efficient; they can multitask more easily than men.
How should institutions respond?
It can be quite complicated to implement public policies on this subject, even with good intentions, they can have a negative impact.
Institutions must be aware of these issues and understand how biased they can be. They have to establish objective and quantitative criteria to evaluate both men and women.
It is unacceptable not to have more women in senior positions, especially when 60% of all graduates at the university are women. It’s also very important to have more diversity in economics – regarding gender, race or any other minority – because it allows a wider range of research topics to be treated.
What advice would you give to young economists – both male and female – about these issues?
"Be aware of the current context: it helps you to know what to expect and also work on your own bias. For instance, women are very often interrupted paternalistically while talking in seminars. Female economists should make sure they know how to deal with these types of interruptions, while male economists should be careful not to reproduce the same prejudiced patterns."
"For women, it might be better not to work in teams with senior men. If you do, make sure to get credit for your work."
"Get recognition: You have to say, “my work”, “I discovered”, etc. Studies show that if you don’t pay attention to that, you might not get credit."
"Do not accept inappropriate treatments. At the same time, avoid being an “accomplice” of discrimination by treating other women badly."
