https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180530144137.htm

The lack of female representation in academic science is a well-known issue, but little is known about how academic societies might help promote gender equity in this field. In their new study, Potvin and colleagues quantified gender equality (male:female ratios) in 202 zoology society boards globally. The researchers compared multiple models for investigating the number of women on a society board, the number of female society presidents, and the presence of women in leadership roles (president, vice-president, treasurer, and secretary).

The researchers found that the most informative indicator of gender ratio of society boards and leadership positions was a cultural model, which included the age of the society, size of its board and whether or not a society had an outward commitment or statement of equality. Models that focused on geographic location or study discipline were less informative when it came to gender ratio.