How do national contexts and social policies impact the gender gap in science? A new study by GenTIC senior researchers Jörg Müller and Rachel Palmén explores how combinations of different national policies can promote gender equity in academic careers.
Although many studies have examined gender inequality in science, few have considered how national social and employment policies interact with gender equality measures to support women’s early careers. In the framework of the INSPIRE project, Jörg Müller and Rachel Palmén used Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to examine how science, gender, and social policies interact across 31 European countries. Their research identifies five specific national configurations that foster gender-equitable pathways for early-career researchers, showing that no single policy ensures fairness and that progress depends on how different policies work together. The researchers also conclude that combining early childhood education and care policies with reducing precarious working conditions for women leads to fairer early careers.
Reference:
Müller, J. [Jörg], & Rachel, P. [Palmén]. (2025). Pathways to gender equality in academia. National factors shaping women’s early career progression across Europe, Science and Public Policy, scaf035, https://doi.org/10.1093/scipol/scaf035 – OPEN ACCESS – Link to full text