Boston Consulting Report

Overview of women status in science
Executive summary: Overview of today's

today s global situation
Over the 14 countries analyzed worldwide, 2 distinct groups emerge regarding women's status in science
"Women in Science advanced countries" (France, UK, Spain, Germany, US, Japan, China) with a high level of schooling and a
fair integration of women into society in general and more specifically into the scientific world
"Women in Science emerging countries" (Brazil, Argentina, India, Indonesia, Morocco, Egypt, South Africa) with a low level of
schooling and a weak integration of women outside of the domestic sphere
In these countries over the past decade

decade, share of women among science researchers has improved by 12% (+3pt
(+3pt, from 26%
to 29%) but gender parity is still far from being reached
A first representation gap of women in science arises as early as Bachelor level (32%) and continues throughout the scientific
career (11% of women in top academic positions)
Moreover a second representation gap occurs across all academic levels: women choose primarily health-related scientific
Moreover,
studies vs. engineering and general science
Overall today, a girl graduating from high school has in average a 35% probability to enroll in a scientific Bachelor, a 18%
probability
p
y to graduate
g
Bachelor,, a 8% probability
p
y to graduate
g
Master and a 2% probability
p
y to be a science Doctor
Those probabilities are respectively 77%, 37%, 19% and 6% for a boy
Reaching gender parity would enable an additional pool of 300k women to graduate as science Doctors each year
Which means a pool of +3M potential female researcher within ~15

15 to 20 years
Copyright 2
2013 by The Boston Co
onsulting Group, Inc. A
All rights reserved.
Given low level of maturity of second group, immediate launch of a science focused schooling initiative only valuable for
"Women in Science advanced countries", therefore being the focus of our study
Over the 14 countries analyzed worldwide, 2 distinct groups

emerge regarding women's
women s status in science
Women in science advanced countries
Literacy
rate
99%
Gender Share of women

inequality
among
1
index
researchers
0.106
Literacy
rate
26%
France
Gender
Share of pop.
inequality attending at most
index1
primary school
90%
0.449
45%
98%
0.372
68%
88%
0.490
N/A
70%
0 510
0.510
68%
66%
N/A
61%
74%
0.617
61%
92%
0 505
0.505
52%
Brazil
99%
0.085
25%
Germany
0.117
38%
Spain
Copyright 2
A
Argentina
ti
99%
South Africa
99%
0 209
0.209
38%
UK
Morocco
99%
0.299
35%
US
Egypt
99%
0.123
14%
Japan
India
96%
China
Women in science emerging countries
0 209
0.209
25%
Indonesia
1. UNDP index capturing the loss of achievement due to gender inequality using three dimensions: reproductive health, empowerment, and labor market participation
2010 data
Source: Human development report 2011, wikipedia, census, Education at a glance 2011, Population projected by level of education for Egypt
End of the 1990's
Beginning of 2010's
26% women
among
researchers
29% women
among
researchers
+3 points
(12%)
Copyright 2
Over the past decade, +12% in share of women among

science researchers but parity still far from being reached
N d tto ttackle
Need
kl the
th issue
i
by
b identifying
id tif i
its
it roott cause
Source: Eurostat, UNESCO 1999 and 2009 data, DDG research, BCG analysis
First representation gap of women in science arises as early as

Bachelor level and continues throughout the scientific career
1
2
Middle school
3
High school
4
University
Researcher
career1
Top academic 2
achievement
Bachelor Masters Doctorate
Career
achievement
Nobel prize
97%
68%
70%
75%
71%
25%
29%
Copyright 2
89%
51%
49%
32%
Gap
initiation
30%
11%
3%
1. Are considered as researcher professionals engaged in the conception or creation of new knowledge, products, processes, methods and sciences and also the management of the project
concerned; management being also included in researcher oversized data especially for China 2. Data only available for EU-27
BCG analysis, China targets 10 major universities not entire country
Source: UNESCO, national statistic bureau, China confidential BCG study, BCG analysis
Similar scientific performances for boys and girls aged 15

Science performances
More girls average
performers
f
100
49
50
53
59
50
22 21
9
20 16
US
Level 2/3
Level 4
19 18
8
0
Level 0/1
More girls average

performers
f
100
55
21 17
Level 5/ 6
Level 0/1
100
Level 2/3
49 50
50
40
Level 5/ 6
48
25 27
13 11
29 30
13 11
Japan
0
Level 0/1
Level 2/3
Level 4
Level 5/ 6
21
15
0
Level 0/1
100
Level 2/3
Level 4
33 36
34 37
Level 2/3
Level 4
Level 5/ 6
100
49 53
50
50
25 21
14 16
UK
Level 4
100
50
Germany
Copyright 2
France
Science performances
13 10
Shanghai
g
29 25
0
Level 0/1
Level 2/3
Level 4
Level 5/6
Level 0/1
Level 5/ 6
100
57
63
50
21 18
16 16
Spain
Source: PISA 2012
Level 0/1
Level 2/3
Level 4
Level 5/ 6
3
4
After high school, regular drop-off of women, from first

specialization at Bachelor level to top academic position
High school
University
Bachelor
France
46%
37%
43%
36%
26%
Germany
51%
36%
N/A
34%
25%
Spain
p
50%
46%
48%
56%
38%
49%
50%
N/A
44%
38%
USA
50%
50%
46%
41%
35%
Japan
J
51%
23%
14%
24%
14%
China
46%
28%
28%
18%
25%
Data 2010
Share of women
1
UK
University
Master
1. First specialization occurs in high school 2. Gap occurs when loss >5 points or share becomes <40%
Data France, UK, Japan 2011, data China 2012
Source: INSEE, local ministries of Education, Eurostat, Destatis, UNESCO, China confidential BCG study, BCG analysis
University
Doctorate
Researcher
career
Copyright 2
Moment when
gap2 occurs
Resulting in only 11% women among top academic positions

European scope
Vertical segregation
g g
towards women present
p
across all academic fields...
100
2006: Proportion of men and women in

typical academic career EU-27
...particularly
p
y marked in science and engineering
g
g
fields with a faster pace of improvement
2006: Proportion of men and women in typical academic
career in science and engineering EU-27
100
81
80
89
80
78
64
55
56
45
44
36
40
60
64
40
36
67
33
22
19
20
Copyright 2
60
20
11
0
PhD.
Academic
staff
grade C
Academic Academic
staff
staff
grade B grade A
Women 2006
0
PhD.
Academic
staff
grade C
Academic Academic
staff
staff
grade B grade A
Men 2006
Source: UNESCO
Unequal representation of women on boards of main scientific

institutions
Share of women on boards of main scientific institutions
100
80
60
40
Copyright 2
34 %
29 %
28 %
27 %
20 %
20
17 %
6%
Spain
France
UK
US
Germany
China
Japan
Note: Total number of board members and scientific institution varies considerably between countries
Source: BCG analysis
Dramatic under representation among science Nobel Prize

winners: ~3.5%
3.5% of Nobel prizes awarded to women
5 Nobel prizes awarded to women out of 132 (~3.5%)
Nb of Nobel
prizes awarded1
1998-2013: Nobel prizes awarded by gender
15
Medicine:
L. Buck (USA)
Medicine:
E. Blackburn (Australia)
C. Greider (US)
Medicine:
F. Barr Sinoussi
(France)
10
Chimie:
Ada Yonath (Isral)
1
1
12
11
9
7
03
04
Copyright 2
10
8
6
8
6
4
0
98
99
00
Women
Men
01
02
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
Women scientists who

received the award of the
L'Oral Foundation
1. Including Fields Medall awarded every 4 years

Source: nobelprize.org
Second representation gap occurs across all academic levels:

women choose primarily health-related
health related scientific studies
Healthcare studies
1st year bachelor
General science studies

1st year bachelor
Engineering studies
1st year bachelor
1999-2009 trend
1999-2009 trend
1999-2009 trend
100
100
100
~20 %
80
80
80
60
60
60
40
40
Copyright 2
~30 %
~60 %
40
~80 %
~70 %
20
~40 %
0
Women
20
20
Men
Note: Healthcare studies include med school, pharmaceutical school, nurse and mid-wife, physiotherapist; general science study include physics, chemistry, mathematical, computing science;
engineering study include manufacturing, construction, general engineering
Source: Eurostat, China confidential BCG study, BCG analysis
10
Among the (few) Nobel prizes awarded to women, 80%

were in medicine
1998-2013: Split of Nobel prizes per field and per gender
4 out of 5 Nobel prizes
awarded to women
were in medicine 80%
50
42
39
40
37
1
Copyright 2
30
42
20
36
35
14
10
14
Medicine
Women
Chemistry
Physics
Mathematics
(mdaille Fields) 2
Men
1. Including Fields Medal 2. Fields Medal awarded every 4 years

Source: nobelprize.org
11
Today, a girl graduating from high school has in average a 2%

probability to be a science Doctor vs. 6% for a boy
2%
8%
35%
Entering scientific
B h l
Bachelor
Graduating from
scientific Bachelor
Graduating from
scientific Master
Graduating from
scientific Doctorate
6%
19%
37%
77%
Entering scientific
Bachelor
Graduating from
scientific Bachelor
Graduating from
scientific Master
Graduating from
scientific Doctorate
Source: UNESCO, national statistic bureau, China confidential BCG study, BCG analysis
12
Copyright 2
18%
Reaching gender parity would enable an additional pool of

300k women to graduate as science Doctors each year
+300 000 women Doctorates if parity was achieved today at all levels
~15-20 years from now
2010 Share of women at each step of scientific career
%
50
+3.2m
+3
2
Bachelors
enrolled
40
+1.6m
+1
6
Bachelor
graduates
+0.9m
Masters
30
Copyright 2
+0.3m
Doctorates
+3 million
potential
researchers
7,602
20
2 909
2,909
1 455
1,455
679
166
10
0
0
20
40
High school
Size of cohort in
thousand
60
Bachelor
enrollement
Sh
Share
off women
80
100
Bachelor
Graduate
Doctorate
Graduate
Master
Graduate
G
Note: If gender parity is reach total size of cohort increases

Source: INSEE, local ministries of Education, Eurostat, Destatis, BCG analysis
13
Contacts
Laurent Acharian
Marketing & Communications Director
Tel. +33 1 40 17 15 74
acharian.laurent@bcg.com
Copyright 2
Myriam Gasnier
Marketing Coordinator
Tel. + 33 1 40 17 11 86
gasnier.myriam@bcg.com
14
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Overview of women status in science

Executive summary: Overview of today's

In these countries over the past decade

Which means a pool of +3M potential female researcher within ~15

Over the 14 countries analyzed worldwide, 2 distinct groups

Gender Share of women

Women in science emerging countries

End of the 1990's

Over the past decade, +12% in share of women among

First representation gap of women in science arises as early as

Bachelor Masters Doctorate

Similar scientific performances for boys and girls aged 15

More girls average

Source: PISA 2012

After high school, regular drop-off of women, from first

Resulting in only 11% women among top academic positions

2006: Proportion of men and women in

Unequal representation of women on boards of main scientific

Share of women on boards of main scientific institutions

Dramatic under representation among science Nobel Prize

1998-2013: Nobel prizes awarded by gender

Women scientists who

1. Including Fields Medall awarded every 4 years

Second representation gap occurs across all academic levels:

General science studies

Among the (few) Nobel prizes awarded to women, 80%

1. Including Fields Medal 2. Fields Medal awarded every 4 years

Today, a girl graduating from high school has in average a 2%

Reaching gender parity would enable an additional pool of

~15-20 years from now

2010 Share of women at each step of scientific career

Note: If gender parity is reach total size of cohort increases

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