[PuppyTailWags]

Actually, I think male bias is a problem in other academic fields. For example, we spent a long time thinking girls rarely have ADHD or Autism, and didn't even test drugs on women in case they might be pregnant. It's important to take a critical and objective look on why a women's studies would exist historically, in a setting where academics may not consider women worth studying.

[To be clear: I'm not saying that women's studies is some kind of objectively valid hard-proof field of study or whatever. I do think however it is true that historically women have been excluded in academic study populations, which might explain why there may have been a legitimate desire to have a field of study for that underserved population.]

[Veen]

> historically women have been excluded in academic study populations

That may have once been true, but it is no longer the case. Since the 90s, women have earned more post-graduate qualifications than men. Women have parity in obtaining medical doctorates. They dominate the medical and life sciences, the humanities, psychology and social sciences, human resources, education, veterinary medicine, and many other fields. Computer science and some other math and engineering disciplines are rare exceptions.

https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/workforce/interactive-data...

https://www.statista.com/statistics/185160/number-of-masters...

https://www.zippia.com/biological-scientist-jobs/demographic...

https://www.vetxinternational.com/male-vs-female-veterinaria...

https://www.statista.com/statistics/240141/us-doctorate-reci...

[PuppyTailWags]

I think you're misreading my point. You're arguing as if I'm saying that women's studies is still vital today because academia is still women-hostile. I'm arguing that women's studies may have at one point had a legitimate purpose, and outright dismissal and handwaving of their existence is un-intellectual. I'm therefore arguing for a more nuanced analysis of whether or not women's studies is still necessary, against the cynical dismissal in a forum whose membership is mostly men working in a field that's also mostly men.