A recent study challenges the common belief that women have higher emotional intelligence than men. The research, which analyzed over 1,279 academic papers and data from nearly 609,000 people across 76 countries, found that gender differences in emotional intelligence depend on the specific skills being measured and the context. On average, women scored higher in recognizing and understanding emotions, while men and boys tended to score higher in managing their own feelings. Women, in turn, scored better in managing the emotions of others. These differences also varied depending on how emotional intelligence was assessed—women’s advantage was more pronounced in performance-based tests than in self-report surveys. The study, led by Dr. Mary Hausfeld from the University of Limerick and published in the journal Emotion, redefines emotional intelligence as four distinct skills: recognizing, understanding, and regulating emotions in both oneself and others. The researchers found that overall gender differences in emotional intelligence have decreased in recent years, especially among children. This shift is thought to be linked to evolving social norms and how children are raised, though the exact reasons remain unclear. Notably, gender differences in emotion recognition were more pronounced among leaders compared to nonleaders and were smaller in male-dominated industries than in other sectors. The findings highlight the potential risks of assuming women have greater emotional intelligence, which can lead to workplace biases. For instance, employers may disproportionately assign emotional labor—tasks involving managing emotions—to women. The researchers recommend that organizations treat emotional intelligence as a set of skills rather than a gender-specific trait. They suggest using performance-based assessments, which are more objective, instead of self-reports, which can be influenced by personal perception. The study emphasizes that even small differences in emotional intelligence can accumulate over time and impact career outcomes, such as opportunities for promotion. Ultimately, the study argues that the question of whether women or men have more emotional intelligence is overly simplistic. Instead, it calls for more nuanced questions that consider which specific ability is being measured, how it is assessed, who it is directed toward, and the context in which it is applied. This approach could lead to fairer evaluations and reduce gender biases in both personal and professional settings.