In Some Professions Women Have Become Well-Represented, Yet Gender Bias Persists – Perpetuated by Those Who Think It Is Not Happening

This is the final version. Available from American Association for the Advancement of Science via the DOI in this record.Data and materials availability: Anonymous data corresponding to study 1 and study 2 analyses are available from the Open Science Framework repository (https://osf.io/wgme6/). Code used for primary analyses is available upon request from the first author.In efforts to promote equality and combat potential gender bias, traditionally male-occupied professions are investing resources into hiring more women. Looking forward, if women do become well-represented in a profession, does this mean equality has been achieved? Are issues of bias resolved? Two studies including a randomized double-blind experiment demonstrate that biases can persist even when women become well-represented (evinced in veterinary medicine). Evidence included managers evaluating an employee randomly assigned a male (vs. female) name as more competent, and advising a $3,475.00 higher salary, equating to an 8% pay gap. Importantly, those who thought bias was not happening in their field were the key drivers of it – a ‘high risk’ group (including men and women) that, as shown, can be readily identified/assessed. Thus, as other professions make gains in women’s representation it will be vital to recognize that discrimination can persist – perpetuated by those who think it not happening.European Research Counci