How leaky is the academic pipeline for female PhDs in Switzerland?

Which mechanisms lead to the fact, that the proportion of women in the academic career ladder is the smaller the further up the qualification and career to full professorship gets? This phenomenon, known as the 'leaky pipeline', is analysed with a unique retrospective dataset of PhDs who graduated between 1996 and 2002 at universities in the German speaking part of Switzerland. Results show women have a lower scientific productivity and smaller academic networks than men. Moreover, they suffer from structural barriers in the scientific system. However, women stay in the sector of higher education more often than men and habilitate as often as their male colleagues. Transition rate models show no gender differences in the chance of a successful academic career. Because meanwhile women start to study as often as men, today's picture of the leaky pipeline could be a result of gender inequalities of the past. Future research should examine the role of affirmative action for women in academia and how results from scientific careers can be transferred into the private labour market.