What Do Women FEs Want? The Survey of NAFE Women Forensic Economists

Abstract

Women constitute approximately 14% of the membership of the National Association of Forensic Economists (NAFE). In May of 2019, N.C. Ostrofe conducted a detailed survey of NAFE’s women members about life as a female Forensic Economist (FE), asking if they ever felt they were treated differently from males and how NAFE could attract more women to the profession. 37% of the female members who were contacted responded. The survey finds that female FEs generally find their work to be intellectual, stimulating and lucrative, but many believe FE is not a gender balanced field and that the culture of litigation and forensic economics could and should be improved for women.