  Academic fields exhibit substantial levels of gender segregation. To date,
most attempts to explain this persistent global phenomenon have relied on
limited cross-sections of data from specific countries, fields, or career
stages. Here we used a global longitudinal dataset assembled from profiles on
ORCID.org to investigate which characteristics of a field predict gender
differences among the academics who leave and join that field. Only two field
characteristics consistently predicted such differences: (1) the extent to
which a field values raw intellectual talent ("brilliance") and (2) whether a
field is in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Women
more than men moved away from brilliance-oriented and STEM fields, and men more
than women moved toward these fields. Our findings suggest that stereotypes
associating brilliance and other STEM-relevant traits with men more than women
play a key role in maintaining gender segregation across academia.
