An Analysis of Women’s Underrepresentation in Undergraduate Economics

This paper is the first to give a comprehensive overview of the various conditions that deter women from pursuing an economics major and that contribute to the low numbers of female students in undergraduate economics. Explanations for women’s underrepresentation in undergraduate economics include a lack of female role models and mentors; misperceptions and misinformation about the discipline; the social climate in economics (classes); the scarcity of same-gender peers; women’s relatively high grade-sensitivity; the stereotype threat that makes women doubt their academic performance; women’s (alleged or actual) discomfort with the math-heaviness associated with an economics major; economics’ relatively high use of abstract and theoretical models; and women’s belief that the subject matter does not relate to their own life experiences and interests. An important contribution of the paper is its review of interventions that have proven successful in attracting and retaining female students to the discipline of economics. The paper thus unravels the underlying structural mechanisms associated with female students refraining from pursuing a degree in economics and offers a review of innovative measures that have been shown to help economics practice greater gender inclusivity at the undergraduate level.