Proportional representation of women in elite ethics journals: to quota or not to quota?

Abstract In this paper, I paper explore one concrete manifestation of the gender problem in philosophy: namely, the underrepresentation of women in elite ethics journals. After presenting existing data regarding the underrepresentation of women-authored papers in elite ethics journals, I give some reasons for favoring proportional representation. I conclude by discussing gender-based quotas as one potential avenue of ensuring proportional representation of women in elite ethics journals. I canvass the usual and obvious reasons that are given for immediately dismissing quotas and argue that these reasons do not hold. This suggests, at minimum, that gender-based quotas should not be outright dismissed as a potential (albeit partial) solution to the gender problem in philosophy and that quotas are deserving of more consideration.