STEM Parents and Women in Finance
33 Pages Posted: 30 May 2017 Last revised: 23 Aug 2018
Date Written: December 22, 2017
Abstract
We show parental careers differentially affect the future career choices of girls and boys using survey data from CFA Institute members. Among CFA Institute members, women are more likely to have a STEM parent (particularly a STEM mother) than men. Relative to the base rates at which girls and boys become CFA Institute members, STEM mothers increase the girls’ rate by 48% more than the boys’ rate; STEM fathers increase the girls’ rate 29% more than the boys’ rate. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that early role models, particularly female role models, influence women’s choice of finance careers.
Keywords: Women, Gender, Finance, CFA, Investment Industry
JEL Classification: J16, J22, G00, G20
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation