The term “leaky pipeline” refers to the phenomenon in which women gradually exit the academic track in STEM at successive stages. While many attain degrees and begin their academic careers, far fewer women remain at senior levels. Understanding how this varies between countries and disciplines is essential if we are to reduce attrition and build more equitable research systems.
This article compares cross-country trends in academic attrition, identifies pressures at each transition point, and proposes steps for institutions and individuals to repair the leaks.
Global Patterns in Academic Attrition
According to data from the U.S. National Science Foundation, women currently make up about 36 percent of tenure and research faculty positions in science and engineering in the United States. This contrasts sharply with their representation at earlier stages, indicating significant loss between PhD, postdoctoral, and faculty ranks.
In Europe, the She Figures 2024 report shows that women account for approximately 44 percent of researchers in higher education and 45 percent in government sectors, yet only 22 percent in business enterprise research roles, a sector that employs the largest share of researchers. The drop in women’s representation in corporate and applied research sectors underscores how leaks in the pipeline are not only academic but systemic across sectors.
In U.S. engineering faculties, women are especially underrepresented at senior ranks. A recent report from the Society of Women Engineers indicates that women hold only 20.1 percent of tenure-track engineering positions overall, and just 36.1 percent of full professor roles are occupied by women.
Cross-disciplinary analysis also reveals that women are less likely to occupy top research rankings even when productivity and age are controlled for. A 2025 study of over 80 million scientific publications across 19 fields found that women remain underrepresented in the top decile of productivity, citations, and network centrality across all disciplines.
These patterns illustrate that the leak is not confined to one country or field, but is widespread and persistent across global academic systems.
Where the Pipeline Leaks Most
PhD → Postdoctoral Transition
This stage sees a marked attrition, especially where postdoctoral positions are short term and geographically mobile. Many women decline or exit due to family or caregiving responsibilities, lack of stability, or the perceived risk of long periods without permanent positions.
Postdoc → Permanent Faculty
Competition for secure academic positions is fierce. Women often face biases in hiring and grant distribution, and may self-select out of the pool due to perceived gaps in credentials. The “you must tick every box” expectation disproportionately affects women who have had non-linear careers.
Faculty → Leadership
The largest leak occurs here. Women are less frequently promoted to full professor, department chair, or dean. Institutions often lack transparent criteria for these promotions or rely on informal networks where women have less access.
Leaving Academia Altogether
Some women leave STEM academia for industry, administration, or policy roles. While these transitions can be positive personally, they deplete the pool of senior women scholars and mentors — making the problem cyclical.
Country Comparisons and Insights
United States
In the U.S., the gap between PhDs awarded and women in senior faculty is large. Even though women earn a growing share of STEM PhDs, they remain a minority at the full professor level, especially in engineering and computer science. Policies such as faculty development, transparent promotion, and support for work-life integration are emerging responses.
European Union
European data from She Figures show that while women reach near parity in academic and public research sectors, the gap resurfaces in business and applied research. The division indicates that retention in high value sectors is harder. Some EU countries combine national gender equality initiatives with institutional policies to improve outcomes, but success is inconsistent.
Other Regions
While data is more limited in many parts of Asia, Latin America, and Africa, case studies suggest similar patterns: women are well represented early, but their numbers thin at senior levels. Institutional support, funding equity, and inclusive cultures are pivotal to retaining women in these regions.
Causes Behind the Leaks
- Contractual insecurity: Many postdocs are temporary and insecure, creating instability that disproportionately affects women.
- Mobility demands: Expectations of frequent relocation disadvantage those with caregiving responsibilities.
- Grant funding bias: Women are less likely to secure prestigious grants, limiting their ability to build reputation and resources.
- Lack of mentorship and sponsorship: Without senior advocates pushing for their visibility, women struggle to navigate promotion pathways.
- Cultural expectations and bias: Implicit bias, microaggressions, and stereotypes undermine confidence and belonging.
- Evaluation metrics favouring productivity: Emphasis on publication count and citation metrics can disadvantage women who publish collaboratively or take breaks.
What Works to Plug the Leaks
- Transparent criteria and promotion pathways: Make expectations explicit and apply them fairly.
- Stable career tracks for mid-level academics: Introduce more secure positions between postdoc and full professor.
- Grant equity and returner funding: Allocate grants specifically for women or returners to mitigate bias in funding.
- Sponsorship programs: Pair women with senior scholars who can advocate for them in promotion committees and resource allocation.
- Flexible policies: Support part-time, remote, or hybrid work and account for career breaks in evaluation.
- Institutional accountability: Collect and report gender disaggregated retention data to monitor progress.
- Training and cultural change: Leadership training in bias awareness and inclusive practices is essential.
How Individuals Can Navigate the Pipeline
- Seek both mentors and sponsors who understand institutional politics.
- Choose environments with transparent promotion and equality policies.
- Stay engaged in networks and professional communities.
- Document achievements and strategic contributions over time.
- When negotiating moves, include protections for leadership trajectory and funding continuity.
Call to Action
We encourage readers who draw upon this article to cite and link back to the Women in STEM Network report page: https://womeninstemnetwork.com/leaky-pipeline-academia. This helps elevate visibility and ensures continuity of evidence.
Every drop in the pipeline matters. By comparing countries, learning from best practices, and proactively plugging leaks, we can build academia that retains, values, and advances women at all levels.