My (late) two cents on the important, and disturbing, blog by @Claudia_Sahm. Sharing individual bad experiences is hard, so we should appreciate Claudia’s openness and courage. 1/6 https://twitter.com/Claudia_Sahm/status/1288279714247913472

It is important to remind ourselves: Just because we haven’t had bad experiences ourselves, this does not imply that bad things don’t happen. In fact, we know that they happen, and Claudia’s blog is just another example of this. 2/6

I have been lucky in not having experienced anything really bad. But I have been in toxic seminars, I have been intimidated by harsh seminar comments, and I have lacked role models - the first time I was taught by a female professor was when studying for a year in the US. 3/6

But I have also experienced a lot of support. Such support is incredibly important, and nobody can advance in academia, central banking or anywhere else without it. It gives encouragement in difficult times and helps to create indispensable networks. 4/6

We have to ask ourselves how we can improve the broken parts of economics. This means, 1st of all, to have an open ear for those who suffer from discrimination or simply a lack of self-esteem. I have seen many talented women leave academia, possibly due to a lack of support. 5/6

Economics will thrive only in a diverse environment where everybody has the chance to prosper. In my personal capacity @ecb & @UniBonn, I will do my best to give support to those who need it. But we first need to hear about it. So cherish those who speak up. Thanks, Claudia! 6/6