After an internal memo from the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) came to light, a debate about the U.N.'s hiring practices arose. The memo asked for managers to drop a requirement for a doctorate degree, in order to be able to hire more women. Betsey Stevenson, professor of public policy and economics, weighed in on the issue.
"Can they solve the problem by dropping the PhD requirement? I think not. To drop the PhD requirement will lead to men with more credentials than women and that will likely create unequal work dynamics," Stevenson said. “I know plenty of women who finish their PhD and are not inundated with job offers. There are plenty out there even if they are underrepresented.”
