We have conclusive evidence that gender bias exists, so why do so many people still deny it? - Women's Agenda

We have conclusive evidence that gender bias exists, so why do so many people still deny it?

A new study has found that many of us are still uncomfortable admitting that sexism holds women back, even when presented with irrefutable evidence. 

The study examines the public’s reactions to research demonstrating the impact of gender-based discrimination in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). It found that many men who read the research still responded either by denying the existence of gender bias, adding their own derogatory comments about women, or arguing that women bring gender bias upon themselves.

First, it’s important to illustrate just how compelling the evidence these men are responding to is. In 2012, researchers from Yale University conducted a study on gender bias in hiring processes in science academia. The researchers sent false applications for lab manager positions to over a hundred of America’s top research institutions. The applications – CV, experience, grades – were identical, except that half were given the name “John” and the other half “Jennifer”. 

Professors assessing these applications were asked to determine the competence and hirability of each applicant. The professors consistently rated the female candidates as both less competent and less hirable than their (identical) male counterparts. Even the female professors consistently rated female candidates less competent than male candidates with exactly the same resume.

The professors were also asked about what salary they would offer the candidates and how much mentoring they deserved. The average salary offered to the male candidates was $30,238.10 and the average salary offered to women was $26,507.94. All the professors also consistently reported that the male candidates deserved more of their time in mentoring and training.

There is also evidence that this problem gets worse with even more important career moves. A 2014 Yale study found that men in STEM were 90% more likely to be given jobs working with Nobel laureates than were women.

However, it seems men still baulk at this evidence. Corinne Moss-Racusin, Aneta Molenda and Charlotte Cramer studied 831 written comments made by members of the public on articles citing this research.

They found that 9.5% of the comments argued that gender bias does not exist, 22% justified the existence of gender bias, 7.6% argued that gender bias actually affects men more than women and 7% of comments contained some form of sexist remark or derogatory comment about women. Commenters referred to the familiar argument that women simply aren’t very good at science or maths, or that they are just not interested in it.

In every single one of these categories, men make up the overwhelming majority of commenters. On the other hand, the overwhelming majority of commenters who agreed that gender bias exists or expressed gratitude for the study were women.

If this study of online comments reflects the broader conversation about the impact of gender bias, it is very concerning.

Why is it that so many peopleare compelled to reject the possibility of gender discrimination even when faced with conclusive evidence?

More importantly, if irrefutable evidence of gender bias can’t convince people that something needs to change, then what can?

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