Why Motherhood—Not Parenthood—Drives Inequality in Academic Careers

Paper Findings

• After the first child, men’s and women’s academic careers diverge sharply—even though they evolve similarly beforehand.
• Around one in three women leaves academia following motherhood, making exit—not slow progression—the central mechanism.
• Motherhood leads to persistent declines in tenure attainment and research output.
• Fatherhood has modest negative effects on academic employment, but no detectable impact on tenure or research productivity.
• The gap is not driven by preferences: instead, childcare responsibilities, mobility constraints, and competitive environments shape the divergence.