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Women constructors in the Shortz Era
Although it would be unwise to draw specific conclusions from this data, here are some numbers that might spark discussion.
Each number link in the second table goes to a list of puzzles that make up that number so you can see who the constructors are.
Example links:
- All Saturday puzzles by women in the Shortz Era — list, thumbnails
- All puzzles by women last year — list, thumbnails
- Monday puzzles by women in 2001 (the first time women hit 50%) — list, thumbnails
Percentage of crosswords by women constructors
| Year | Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 23% | 34% | 29% | 20% | 17% | 11% | 7% | 20% |
| 1993 | 33% | 17% | 33% | 33% | 50% | 17% | 0% | 27% |
| 1994 | 27% | 19% | 21% | 17% | 13% | 4% | 2% | 15% |
| 1995 | 28% | 19% | 17% | 25% | 21% | 8% | 12% | 19% |
| 1996 | 27% | 38% | 32% | 23% | 27% | 2% | 6% | 22% |
| 1997 | 33% | 33% | 37% | 19% | 27% | 4% | 4% | 22% |
| 1998 | 27% | 23% | 35% | 31% | 34% | 6% | 4% | 23% |
| 1999 | 35% | 33% | 46% | 29% | 19% | 15% | 4% | 26% |
| 2000 | 36% | 33% | 29% | 17% | 17% | 13% | 8% | 22% |
| 2001 | 35% | 51% | 31% | 17% | 23% | 19% | 8% | 26% |
| 2002 | 29% | 21% | 36% | 23% | 23% | 15% | 17% | 24% |
| 2003 | 33% | 42% | 35% | 21% | 27% | 21% | 10% | 27% |
| 2004 | 23% | 27% | 38% | 21% | 23% | 17% | 10% | 23% |
| 2005 | 15% | 42% | 50% | 15% | 15% | 13% | 15% | 24% |
| 2006 | 13% | 37% | 27% | 37% | 15% | 13% | 4% | 21% |
| 2007 | 23% | 40% | 35% | 27% | 19% | 17% | 15% | 25% |
| 2008 | 23% | 50% | 32% | 11% | 10% | 2% | 21% | 21% |
| 2009 | 17% | 38% | 23% | 17% | 17% | 13% | 13% | 20% |
| 2010 | 19% | 40% | 35% | 13% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 19% |
| 2011 | 29% | 27% | 25% | 13% | 10% | 6% | 0% | 16% |
| 2012 | 13% | 42% | 23% | 19% | 13% | 4% | 4% | 17% |
| 2013 | 21% | 33% | 21% | 19% | 8% | 8% | 0% | 16% |
| 2014 | 10% | 35% | 19% | 21% | 15% | 6% | 2% | 15% |
| 2015 | 21% | 35% | 15% | 17% | 11% | 8% | 0% | 15% |
| 2016 | 13% | 31% | 29% | 6% | 15% | 17% | 11% | 17% |
| 2017 | 17% | 21% | 19% | 10% | 6% | 13% | 8% | 13% |
| 2018 | 15% | 38% | 18% | 15% | 12% | 12% | 0% | 16% |
The same data using counts instead of percentages in the format "Women : Men"
| Year | Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 303 : 989 | 436 : 856 | 378 : 914 | 252 : 1039 | 225 : 1066 | 137 : 1154 | 96 : 1195 | 1827 : 7213 |
| 1993 | 2 : 4 | 1 : 5 | 2 : 4 | 2 : 4 | 3 : 3 | 1 : 5 | 0 : 5 | 11 : 30 |
| 1994 | 14 : 38 | 10 : 42 | 11 : 41 | 9 : 43 | 7 : 45 | 2 : 50 | 1 : 52 | 54 : 311 |
| 1995 | 15 : 38 | 10 : 42 | 9 : 43 | 13 : 39 | 11 : 41 | 4 : 48 | 6 : 46 | 68 : 297 |
| 1996 | 14 : 38 | 20 : 33 | 17 : 36 | 12 : 40 | 14 : 38 | 1 : 51 | 3 : 49 | 81 : 285 |
| 1997 | 17 : 35 | 17 : 35 | 19 : 33 | 10 : 43 | 14 : 38 | 2 : 50 | 2 : 50 | 81 : 284 |
| 1998 | 14 : 38 | 12 : 40 | 18 : 34 | 16 : 36 | 18 : 35 | 3 : 49 | 2 : 50 | 83 : 282 |
| 1999 | 18 : 34 | 17 : 35 | 24 : 28 | 15 : 37 | 10 : 42 | 8 : 45 | 2 : 50 | 94 : 271 |
| 2000 | 19 : 34 | 17 : 35 | 15 : 37 | 9 : 43 | 9 : 43 | 7 : 45 | 4 : 49 | 80 : 286 |
| 2001 | 18 : 34 | 27 : 26 | 16 : 36 | 9 : 43 | 12 : 40 | 10 : 42 | 4 : 48 | 96 : 269 |
| 2002 | 15 : 37 | 11 : 41 | 19 : 34 | 12 : 40 | 12 : 40 | 8 : 44 | 9 : 43 | 86 : 279 |
| 2003 | 17 : 35 | 22 : 30 | 18 : 34 | 11 : 42 | 14 : 38 | 11 : 41 | 5 : 47 | 98 : 267 |
| 2004 | 12 : 40 | 14 : 38 | 20 : 32 | 11 : 41 | 12 : 41 | 9 : 44 | 5 : 47 | 83 : 283 |
| 2005 | 8 : 44 | 22 : 30 | 26 : 26 | 8 : 44 | 8 : 44 | 7 : 45 | 8 : 45 | 87 : 278 |
| 2006 | 7 : 46 | 19 : 33 | 14 : 38 | 19 : 33 | 8 : 44 | 7 : 45 | 2 : 50 | 76 : 289 |
| 2007 | 12 : 40 | 21 : 32 | 18 : 34 | 14 : 38 | 10 : 42 | 9 : 43 | 8 : 44 | 92 : 273 |
| 2008 | 12 : 40 | 26 : 26 | 17 : 36 | 6 : 47 | 5 : 47 | 1 : 51 | 11 : 41 | 78 : 288 |
| 2009 | 9 : 43 | 20 : 32 | 12 : 40 | 9 : 43 | 9 : 44 | 7 : 45 | 7 : 45 | 73 : 292 |
| 2010 | 10 : 42 | 21 : 31 | 18 : 34 | 7 : 45 | 4 : 48 | 4 : 49 | 4 : 48 | 68 : 297 |
| 2011 | 15 : 37 | 14 : 38 | 13 : 39 | 7 : 45 | 5 : 47 | 3 : 49 | 0 : 53 | 57 : 308 |
| 2012 | 7 : 46 | 22 : 31 | 12 : 40 | 10 : 42 | 7 : 45 | 2 : 50 | 2 : 50 | 62 : 304 |
| 2013 | 11 : 41 | 17 : 35 | 11 : 42 | 10 : 42 | 4 : 48 | 4 : 48 | 0 : 52 | 57 : 308 |
| 2014 | 5 : 47 | 18 : 34 | 10 : 42 | 11 : 42 | 8 : 44 | 3 : 49 | 1 : 51 | 56 : 309 |
| 2015 | 11 : 41 | 18 : 34 | 8 : 44 | 9 : 43 | 6 : 47 | 4 : 48 | 0 : 52 | 56 : 309 |
| 2016 | 7 : 45 | 16 : 36 | 15 : 37 | 3 : 49 | 8 : 44 | 9 : 44 | 6 : 47 | 64 : 302 |
| 2017 | 9 : 44 | 11 : 41 | 10 : 42 | 5 : 47 | 3 : 49 | 7 : 45 | 4 : 48 | 49 : 316 |
| 2018 | 5 : 28 | 13 : 21 | 6 : 28 | 5 : 28 | 4 : 29 | 4 : 29 | 0 : 33 | 37 : 196 |
Notes on the calculations
Collaboration puzzles are counted here as by Women if there is at least one female constructor. In other words, the Men columns include only puzzles where all contributors are male. One could argue that this over-states women's contributions and their more accurate percentages are even lower.
Percentages more than one third or less than one tenth are color coded.
In the tables above, 1993 and 2018 are partial years so they are grayed out with no color coding.
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