Valeria Rueda

Valeria Rueda is an assistant professor of economics at the University of Nottingham and a research affiliate of the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) and the CAGE Research Centre. Her research studies how culture shapes past and present economic and political inequalities. Her research agenda focuses on gender and women’s empowerment. Her work has been published in leading outlets in economics and political science. Methodologically, she has technical expertise in building, statistical analysis, and visualization of large and complex databases. These databases stem from diverse sources such as historical statistical records, maps, images, websites, or text. She holds a Ph.D. in economics from Sciences Po.

Gender Stereotypes in Academic Reference Letters

In new research, Markus Eberhardt, Giovanni Facchini, and Valeria Rueda delve into a unique database comprising 12,000 reference letters, which were written in support of more than 3,700 applicants applying for academic job positions in economics in the United Kingdom. Their analysis uncovers a pervasive disparity in the way male and female candidates are recommended. Specifically, the authors observe that women are frequently lauded for their hard work and determination, and at times less likely to be praised for their natural talent. They also show that such gender-based stereotyping hinders the progress of women economists.

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