Stepping Up to the Mic: Gender Gaps in Participation in Live Question-and-Answer Sessions at Academic Conferences

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Gender Studies
• Communication Studies

Background:

• Gender inequities persist in academia, with women underrepresented and their contributions undervalued.
• Question-and-answer (Q&A) sessions are crucial for scientific discourse and audience engagement.
• Existing gender disparities may influence participation dynamics in academic Q&A sessions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate gender differences in participation in academic Q&A sessions.
• To examine the psychological factors associated with Q&A participation across genders.
• To understand how gender influences engagement in scientific discourse.

Main Methods:

• Two studies analyzed Q&A interactions and attendee experiences across three conferences.
• Quantitative analysis of 189 Q&A interactions in a live, recorded conference.
• Surveys of 234 conference attendees to assess comfort levels and fears related to participation.

Main Results:

• Men participated disproportionately more in Q&A sessions than women.
• Women reported lower comfort levels and greater fear of backlash for participating.
• Women cited anxiety as a reason for holding back questions; men cited making space for others.

Conclusions:

• Gender disparities in Q&A participation may reinforce existing academic inequities.
• Psychological factors like anxiety and fear of backlash significantly impact women's participation.
• Unequal engagement in Q&A sessions could lead to men having greater influence over the direction of science.