New research from Wharton’s Tiantian Yang proves that behind every great woman is another woman.

Her co-authored study on virtual career training found that women who attended remote classes exclusively with other women were much more likely to complete their training on time, earn professional certification, and get a job in their field—compared with women who attended mixed-gender classes.

The authors determined that the absence of men in the same-gender classes created psychological safety for the female participants, which led them to share personal stories, support each other with messages of encouragement, and swap employment resources. All those actions led to greater success for them.

The study is the first to show that gender homophily has distinct advantages for women in remote environments because it helps them build “identity-based trust.” The study is also a departure from previous research that finds women benefit from mixed-gender groups at work because men traditionally hold more authority and access to resources.

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