[Aloha]

Because I think it's the only way we have to measure that there are no cultural barriers for women entering STEM professions.

I've often theorized that much of the widely talked about pay gap has to do with either professions that women often wish to work in - or that society steers them to - but I dont know enough to know if its personal preference, or sociocultural bias driving personal preference.

In the end, pay equality and open doors are important things, and is something we as a society should work on.

[User23]

Actually, women are favored for tenure track STEM jobs: https://www.educationnews.org/higher-education/study-women-f...

So yes, there is sexism in academic STEM hiring: 2:1 in favor of women.