The Chronicle examines why there are so few women in academia.
While women have made inroads in professions like English and psychology, over all more than 70 percent of professors teaching at the country's top research institutions in the 2001-2 academic year were male. Even at the entry level, men made up nearly 60 percent of the assistant professors that year at research universities, according to a survey by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles.
Women don't self promote? The family problem? Old boys network? Check it out.
One commenter in their Colloquy section gave this bit of useful advice:
Let me conclude with some advice to new female PhDs looking for employment. It is an immediate---and I do mean immediate---turnoff when your cover letter starts out with
"I am a female applicant...."
We on the faculty are tired of having to deal with the AA office and their stupid requirements. Starting out your cover letter with this wording just throw it into the face of the faculty---and they resent it. Start your cover letter with this and believe me when I say you will automatically go into the REJECT pile.
Another commenter adds:
Oh geez, not yet another inane hand-wringing session on the lack of women in the academy. Why do we have to endure this pity party year after year? Puhleeez.
Discrimination against women in the academy (and frankly, anywhere else in Western society) is a non-issue. In fact, contemporary women in First World societies are the most pampered, spoiled and privileged people in human history.
Yes, all academics are frothing-at-the-mouth, knee jerk, crazed liberals.