Mind the Gap: Gender, Homophily and the Glass Ceiling in Academic Networks

This study examines the gender distribution within collaboration and mentorship networks across several scientific disciplines, namely Physics, Material Science, Computer Science, Chemistry, Biology and Psychology in the last two decades. Our analysis reveals that the proportions of women in these fields range from 24% to 49%. Despite these variations, all disciplines show evidence of gender-based homophily in their networks, and there are indications for the presence of a glass ceiling effect. Specifically, we observed that women are under-represented in high-status positions with respect to their number of mentees in mentorship networks and their scientific contributions within collaboration networks. These findings highlight longstanding gender disparities in scientific collaboration and mentoring practices, along with cumulative impacts on measured performances of researchers across disciplines. Using a network approach, this study not only extends the methodological work on quantifying gender gaps but also provides actionable insights for the design of more inclusive systems with gender-equitable access to mentorship and collaboration opportunities.