Study hints at exclusion of women from senior posts

Comparison with Norway shows Italy’s failure to treat scientific talent equally

If recruitment at higher education institutions in Italy was based solely on scientific merits, the country should see more women in top-level positions, a study has shown.

Italy’s National Research Council (CNR) funded a study that compared the publication rates and productivity of scientists in Italy and Norway over a five-year period. It found that women produced one-third of the total scientific output over the period, but that they were mostly relegated to lower academic ranks.