New study: One in three wo­men leaves aca­demia after be­com­ing a moth­er

Women’s research careers develop markedly differently from men’s once they have their first child. A new study shows that mothers are far more likely than fathers to leave universities, publish less, and struggle to obtain permanent positions. According to the researchers behind the study, the main reason is the unequal distribution of caregiving responsibilities.

It begins the same way. Men and women enter the world of research with the same ambitions, the same opportunities, and the same career trajectories, at least until they have children. From that point on, differences begin to emerge, and they are far from negligible.

This is shown in a new study by researchers from Copenhagen Business School, WZB Berlin Social Science Center, the University of Zagreb, and the Stockholm School of Economics. The researchers point out that parenthood, and motherhood in particular, becomes a decisive turning point in academic careers.

The study was conducted by Sofie Cairo, assistant professor at CBS, Anne Sophie Lassen, postdoctoral researcher at CBS, Ria Ivandic from the University of Zagreb, and Valentina Tartari from the Stockholm School of Economics and CBS.

They analysed Danish register data and followed more than 13,000 researchers from the start of their PhD and through the first years of their careers.

“It is when people have children that gender differences in academia truly begin to appear. Before children, the career trajectories of men and women look very similar. Afterwards, they begin to move in very different directions.”

This is according to Sofie Cairo, assistant professor at Copenhagen Business School, referring to the study, which shows that men and women follow almost identical career paths until they have children. After that, the differences begin to grow.

Eight years after the birth of their first child, women are 29 percent less likely to be employed at a university than they would have been without children. For men, the decline is 14 percent. In practice, this means that around one in three mothers leaves academia after having children, compared with roughly one in six fathers.

A turning point in the career

The difference is not only about who stays in academia, but also about who moves up the academic career ladder. While fathers’ chances of obtaining permanent positions remain largely unchanged after having children, mothers’ chances decline significantly.

At the same time, mothers’ research productivity decreases. They publish fewer articles and their work receives less impact, while fathers’ research output remains stable. Over an eight-year period, mothers’ total research output ends up being 31 percent lower than that of fathers.

The researchers describe the development as a leak in the academic pipeline: the earlier women drop out, the fewer make it all the way to the top.

Care responsibilities weigh more than ambition

But why are the differences so large in a country like Denmark, which has generous parental leave and childcare systems?

One obvious explanation could be that women and men want different careers. However, the researchers find no support for that explanation.

On the contrary, survey data show that male and female PhD students have almost identical ambitions and preferences for an academic career.

“Women do not opt out of research because they lack ambition, but because they encounter structural constraints that make it harder to stay and advance,” says Sofie Cairo.

Demands for constant productivity at work collide with care responsibilities at home

The explanation must instead largely be found outside the university. The data show that mothers are far more likely than fathers to take responsibility for care work, especially the unpredictable and time-consuming tasks: sick days, sleepless nights, and doctor’s appointments.

These are precisely the types of responsibilities that are difficult to combine with a career in which productivity is measured in publications, citations, and constant presence in the research environment.

“Academia is often perceived as flexible, but like many other competitive sectors it also rewards constant productivity and mobility. This makes the field an important example of why gender differences persist at the top of many professions,” says Anne Sophie Lassen.

The researchers also examined whether classic “solutions” make a difference: having a partner with the same level of education, fathers taking parental leave, or help from grandparents. However, none of these factors significantly change the pattern.

The researchers nevertheless point out that universities have an important role to play when it comes to creating inclusive and diverse research environments with good working conditions. In particular, the presence of senior women appears to make a difference.

“Role models can be crucial for younger researchers’ perceptions of what is possible and who belongs in the research world. When students and PhD candidates can see themselves reflected in researchers who resemble them or share similar experiences, it can strengthen both motivation, a sense of belonging, and confidence in their own opportunities in academia. At the same time, visible role models can help challenge existing norms and assumptions about who typically becomes a researcher or a leader in the university world,” explains Sofie Cairo.