A recent study led by Kyushu University, Tokyo Institute of Technology and University of California San Diego has found that focusing only on increasing the proportion of women scholars is not enough to accurately assess gender equity in Japan. Researchers proposed a new evaluation model that incorporates the proportion and total number of women, along with their academic performance, to provide a more comprehensive evaluation and support women's active engagement in academia.

In Japan, despite decades of governmental initiatives promoting gender equity in academia, women in STEM still struggle for equal treatment and recognition. While institutions cite the rising percentage of women as a sign of progress, this can paint an overly optimistic picture.

In many cases, these statistics are inflated by the growth in women students or junior researchers, failing to reflect true equality in career progression or work environments. The low representation of women in senior academic positions and decision-making roles highlights the persistent gender bias in academia.

"The fixation on percentages reflects the perspective of policymakers, often men, rather than the lived experiences of women in STEM," says Professor Kaoru Tamada of Kyushu University's Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering, and the lead author of the study. "What truly matters to women is the number of peers they can collaborate with daily. We need to create frameworks that truly support women."

Source: https://phys.org/news/2024-10-absolute-women-proportion-gender-equity.html#google_vignette