For 2nd year, no women among Nobel winners

From left, Per Stromberg, chairman of the Committee; Goran K Hansson, secretary of the Committee; and Peter Gardenfors, member of the Committee, announce Richard Thaler of the University of Chicago, as the the 2017 Nobel Economics Prize winner in Stockholm, Monday Oct. 9, 2017.  AP

STOCKHOLM, Sweden — For the second consecutive year, there were no women among the 2017 Nobel prize laureates.

The head of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences says the committees that choose Nobel Prize winners will meet this winter to discuss gender and ethnic diversity issues in the prestigious awards.

Goran Hannsson said after the announcement of the economics prize on Monday that “I hope in five years, 10 years, we’ll see a very different distribution.”

Each of the six prizes is chosen by a different committee, three of which are currently headed by women. Three of the prize committees are within the sciences academy. Hansson said he did not believe there was systemic gender discrimination, but “we are concerned; we are taking measures.” /cbb