The Long-Term Role Model Effect of Prizes to Female Scientists

One of the most important reasons for the under representation of female researchers in many academic disciplines is a masculine culture. Female role models can play an important role in changing the perceptions about a masculine domain leading to more interest and entry into these fields. In this paper we look at the long term effect of sudden role models, namely female awardees of prestigious prizes. To test our theoretical framework we use a unique longitudinal data set of a comprehensive population of 40 million active scientists since 1970. We find that after the first female prize winner in a certain country and field, the share of active female scientists in that country and field increases by 3 p.p. on average. Since the share of women in our sample is below 30% in most countries, this corresponds roughly to a 10% increase from baseline.