The science meritocracy myth devalues women | Science

As Women’s History Month comes to a close, we shouldn’t overlook the women who contribute so much to science and yet continue to be devalued, ignored, and discouraged from pursuing an academic career. Women researchers are cited less often than men (1) and are substantially less likely than men to be credited with authorship within research teams (2). A variety of factors contribute to gender disparity in science, including harassment (3), conscious and unconscious gender bias (4), and motherhood (5). One often-overlooked obstacle is the myth of meritocracy (6), a set of assumptions that obscures the challenges faced by women and other underrepresented groups.