introduction
The Analytical Grrl Manifesto was written in response
to what I perceive to be two major issues in academia:
1. Women are drastically less likely than men to enter
certain academic fields, including but not limited to:
math, physics, engineering, economics, philosophy,
politics, and business.
2. Women who do enter these fields are less likely to
stay in the field as they climb the ladder of achievement.
(This phenomenon is sometimes referred to the “leaky
pipeline” effect.)
Typically, male dominance is identified as an issue in
STEM fields. But it’s also an issue in a number of other
fields, including economics, politics, and philosophy,
which rely on similar methods of thought. These methods of thought are systematic, often empirical, and favor quantification. I use the term “analytical” to broadly
describe these methods of thought and the badass grrls
who use them.
The title is an intentional reference to Kathleen Hanna’s Riot Grrl Manifesto. Kathleen Hanna felt that punk
rock could be radical and empowering, but she also felt
that it was systemically oppressive to girls who tried to
participate. Her manifesto seeks to carve out space for
women within the punk rock subculture. Similarly, this
manifesto will ideally carve out space for women within
the subculture of analytical academia.