Does love in the ivory tower fix the leaky pipeline? A new study by Antonia Velicu, Manon Fauvelais, Julia Jerke, Heiko Rauhut, and Bruno Lemaitre investigates how homogamous relationships shape careers
The motherhood penalty in science: could your partner make a difference? Having children is one of the biggest career obstacles women in academia face. They publish less, get passed over for promotions, and are more likely to leave research altogether. Meanwhile, their male colleagues, even those who also become parents, often continue climbing the ladder unaffected. This imbalance is one of the key reasons fewer women reach senior positions in science, a pattern researchers call the "leaky pipeline." But what if part of the solution was hiding in plain sight?
In a new study, Dr. Antonia Velicu, Manon Fauvelais, Dr. Julia Jerke, Prof. Dr. Heiko Rauhut, and Prof. Dr. Bruno Lemaitre examined whether having an academic partner shapes how scientists experience the impact of parenthood on their careers. Drawing on a large-scale survey of over 6,000 scientists across Swiss universities, conducted by swissuniversities and EPFL, their findings reveal a striking pattern: it's not just workplace policies that matter, but what happens around the kitchen table.
Women whose partners also work in academia, what researchers call a homogamous relationship, report that having children feels significantly less damaging to their career compared to women with non-academic partners. The effect is strongest when both partners work at the same institution. For men, the picture flips: academic fathers with academic partners report feeling more career pressure from parenthood - likely because they share childcare more equally, rather than leaving it primarily to their partner.
The explanation likely goes beyond simple practicalities. Academics who partner with other academics tend to hold more equal views about gender roles and shared responsibility at home. When both partners have demanding, intellectually driven careers, the traditional model of one person prioritizing work while the other prioritizes family becomes harder to sustain. Add to this the relative flexibility of academic schedules, and homogamous couples may simply have more room to negotiate a fairer division of labor. When both partners understand the rhythms and demands of academic life, it seems easier to divide responsibilities fairly and that, the authors argue, is what could cushion the blow for mothers. The data supports this interpretation. Homogamous couples, and especially men in those relationships, report sharing childcare duties far more equally than couples where only one partner works in academia. For universities, the message goes beyond offering flexible working arrangements or childcare on paper. The findings suggest that actively supporting dual-career couples (including hiring practices that accommodate both partners) could be an effective tool for retaining talented women in science. But not every woman has an academic partner, and institutions should not wait for that to happen. Mentoring schemes, peer networks, and a genuinely collegial culture can help replicate some of these benefits for everyone, ensuring that the support structures that help women thrive are built into the institution itself, not left to chance.
Love in the ivory tower, it turns out, might be doing some of the work that institutions haven't managed to do yet.
Does love in the ivory tower fix the leaky pipeline? How academia’s homogamous relationships shape careers
Antonia Velicu (SUZ), Manon Fauvelais (EPFL), Julia Jerke (SUZ), Heiko Rauhut (SUZ), and Bruno Lemaitre (EPFL)
First published online March 25, 2026 in PLOS One
Read full article here: doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0344105
Abstract
The persistent “leaky pipeline”, i.e., women remaining underrepresented in advanced academic roles, often links to the adverse impact of parenthood on women’s careers compared to men’s. This study delves into how the struggle to balance academic success and family life might be pushing female scientists out of academia, and how the less-studied concept of homogamy—here, the forming of heterosexual relationships between individuals with the same profession—influences academic careers. Drawing on data from the 2021 “Academic career, partnership, and family” survey by swissuniversities, this research pursues two objectives: assessing whether homogamous partnerships help mitigating career challenges faced by mothers, and investigating the broader impact of homogamy on academic careers and work-life balance. The findings show that homogamy is common among Swiss scientists. Homogamous women, especially when their partner works in the same institution, perceive parenthood as posing fewer career obstacles. Conversely, male scientists in such relationships state the opposite. Additionally, homogamous couples report benefiting from stimulating discussions and partner support while encountering greater mobility constraints. This research offers insights into how homogamy affects academic careers, providing a nuanced understanding of how academics navigate their pursuit of successful careers alongside personal lives.
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