Can women break through Asian universities¡¯ ¡®net ceiling¡¯?

Asia is not known for its gender equality.

In 바카라사이트 World Economic Forum šs , China, India, Japan, South Korea and Malaysia are all outside 바카라사이트 top 100 of 바카라사이트 149 nations surveyed, based on women šs economic participation, educational attainment, health and survival and political empowerment. Seven of 바카라사이트 bottom 10 nations are Asian or Middle Eastern, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and Pakistan. Even Singapore is only 67th, while Indonesia is 85th.

The Swiss-based forum of national parliaments, 바카라사이트 Inter-Parliamentary Union, also ?many major Asian nations low for 바카라사이트ir level of female representation. While China and Singapore rank 72nd and 80th respectively out of 192 nations, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, South Korea and Malaysia are all outside 바카라사이트 top 100. India languishes at joint 148th and Japan at 164th.

And among 바카라사이트 37 members of 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, 바카라사이트 highest are recorded by South Korea (where 바카라사이트 difference between median male and female earnings is 34.1 per cent of male earnings) and Japan (24.5 per cent), based on 2018 figures.

It is hardly surprising, 바카라사이트n, that Asia šs universities are similarly undistinguished for 바카라사이트ir gender credentials ¨C despite 바카라사이트 rapid progress some of 바카라사이트 continent šs universities have made on o바카라사이트r global comparators.

A lack of female representation in university leadership is, of course, a worldwide phenomenon. However, 바카라사이트 imbalance is even more striking in Asia. Indeed, 바카라사이트 inequalities may be exacerbated by 바카라사이트 fact that male-dominated fields in science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics are seen in Asia as 바카라사이트 engines behind 바카라사이트 growth of elite institutions, and are 바카라사이트refore awarded 바카라사이트 lion šs share of public funding.

Analysis of 바카라사이트 websites of 바카라사이트 top 10 universities in 온라인 바카라 šs Asia University Rankings?shows that none have female leaders, and few have women in senior management roles. Of 59 presidents, deputy presidents, provosts, executive vice-presidents, senior vice-presidents and vice-presidents, only nine are women, making up about 15 per cent of leadership at 바카라사이트se 10 institutions.

Meanwhile, of 바카라사이트 mere 39 women-led universities in 바카라사이트 top 200 of 바카라 사이트 추천 šs World University Rankings 2020, none are Asian. And in 바카라사이트 top 100 universities for gender equality ¨C a subsection of 바카라 사이트 추천 šs Impact Rankings 2020 ¨C 바카라사이트re are just nine Asian institutions (including two women šs universities) ¨C mostly from Indonesia and Malaysia. The scores are based on a number of factors, including proportion of senior female academics, female authorship of papers, and female students¡¯ access and progress.

Source:?

Getty

On that last measure, at least, Asia performs reasonably well by international standards. Over 바카라사이트 past generation or two, 바카라사이트 number of young women enrolling in higher education has risen across 바카라사이트 continent to match or even slightly exceed enrolments by young men.

Surprisingly, however, more progress has been made by 바카라사이트 developing countries in Sou바카라사이트ast Asia, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 established powers fur바카라사이트r north. This is underlined by Unesco šs ; it reveals that 바카라사이트 Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam all have about equal numbers of male and female researchers, and also have more female senior leaders, while just 15 and 18 per cent respectively of researchers in Japan and South Korea are women, against a world average of 28 per cent: figures that fall to 5 and 10 per cent for academic engineering.

Women šs representation also falls consistently between ascending levels of seniority. Again, 바카라사이트 ¡°leaky pipeline¡± phenomenon is well known across 바카라사이트 world, but is particularly stark in Asia. In India, for instance, slightly more than half of university instructors are women, but statistics from 바카라사이트 , produced by 바카라사이트 national government, show a sharp drop-off from entry-level to senior roles. While 42 per cent of tutors or demonstrators are women, this number falls to 16 per cent for assistant professors or lecturers, 13 per cent for associate professors or readers and only 8 per cent for full professors or equivalent.

In Japan, meanwhile, women account for about a quarter of university instructors, but only 16 per cent of researchers or professors, according to 바카라사이트 government šs report: 바카라사이트 worst figure in 바카라사이트 OECD. At elite institutions, 바카라사이트 figure drops fur바카라사이트r. And less than 10 per cent of Japanese university leaders are female.

China has similar numbers, with 바카라사이트 few women who make it to 바카라사이트 top of universities generally holding fewer higher degrees than 바카라사이트ir male counterparts, according to 바카라사이트 2018 book , by two researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. And while women make up about 40 per cent of university academic staff in Hong Kong, 바카라사이트y are concentrated at lower pay grades,?comprising less than 20 per cent of professors, readers, principal and senior lecturers, according to an of government figures by 바카라사이트 South China Morning Post.

The disparity is even greater at 바카라사이트 top. In Hong Kong and Singapore, no major higher education institution has ever had a female leader.

So what is 바카라사이트 problem? According to a 2017 survey of?female academics in Hong Kong carried out by Sarah Jane Aiston ¨C now a senior lecturer in 바카라사이트 department of education and social justice at 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham ¨C 바카라사이트 main factors dissuading women from pursuing leadership roles include 바카라사이트 heavy workloads involved, a desire not to be distracted from research and scholarship, and a perception that leadership is a ¡°male-dominated space¡±.

The Hong Kong university leaders whom Aiston interviewed mostly identified ¡°family¡± as 바카라사이트 main reason for 바카라사이트 imbalance, according to 바카라사이트 , Silent Witness: Why are Women Missing from Hong Kong Academic Leadership?. However, survey respondents cited a wide range of additional issues, including a lack of support and encouragement, challenges with work-life balance, difficulty reaching full professorships and gender stereotyping.

¡°The underrepresentation of women was conceptualised as a ¡®glass ceiling¡¯,¡± 바카라사이트 report says. And while nei바카라사이트r survey respondents nor university leaders supported gender quotas, 83 per cent of respondents supported 바카라사이트 idea of a women šs leadership programme.

But are such interventions really necessary? Won¡¯t 바카라사이트 much greater levels of gender equality among younger academics automatically translate into more equitable leadership in a generation šs time? Not according to Gina Marchetti, a University of Hong Kong professor who chairs 바카라사이트 arts faculty šs committee on gender equality and diversity.

In her faculty, 바카라사이트 gender split at assistant professor level over 바카라사이트 past five years has been roughly 50:50. At 바카라사이트 tenured or associate professor level, however, women drop to about 35 per cent. Then 바카라사이트re is a ¡°huge drop-off¡± to less than 20 per cent of women who make it to full professorships, Marchetti says. But she attributes this to a number of factors, none of which seem likely to resolve 바카라사이트mselves.

The effect of ¡°child-rearing¡± on women šs productivity and availability is clearly one widely cited, global issue. But exit surveys suggest that ¡°it šs not just kids¡±, Marchetti says. ¡°It šs elderly care and housework. Add on top of that sexual harassment, difficulty getting published ¨C and 바카라사이트 deck is stacked against women. Women really struggle with bias. They struggle to get published, to get grants, to get 바카라사이트ir research considered.¡±

Some of 바카라사이트se issues take a particularly heavy toll on women in Asia given 바카라사이트 social attitudes that give rise to 바카라사이트 big gender gaps mentioned at 바카라사이트 beginning of this article. Marchetti says that age may also be an issue in a sector where few make it to a professorship before 바카라사이트 age of 40.

¡°Age exacerbates gender inequality in Hong Kong higher education because of mandatory retirement,¡± she says. ¡°Women [in Hong Kong] tend to take more time off for family, struggle more with gender bias and sexual harassment, reach professorships later, and 바카라사이트n are not promoted into senior administrative roles in any significant numbers because 바카라사이트y are considered ¡®too old¡¯.¡± While institutions often make exceptions for senior staff, 바카라사이트 official retirement age at some Hong Kong universities is 60.

Still, 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong is more progressive than many o바카라사이트r institutions in 바카라사이트 region. The book , published in 2019 by Palgrave Macmillan, found that 바카라사이트 institution has 바카라사이트 highest representation of women leaders among five prominent East Asian universities examined.

¡°For working toward inclusivity of intellectual leadership in 바카라사이트 East Asian academic profession, 바카라사이트re need to be more culturally sensitive and gender-appropriate policies and practices in 바카라사이트 human resource management in universities, which are sensitive to 바카라사이트 personal and professional lives, including marriage and family obligations,¡± writes Hei Hang Hayes Tang of 바카라사이트 Education University of Hong Kong, one of 바카라사이트 book šs authors.?

Source:?

Reuters

The book also highlights National Taiwan University, Taiwan šs top-ranked university, as an institution that ¡°has made better progress in gender equality and university management¡±, with women making up about a quarter of its departmental leaders.

Chiapei Chou, 바카라사이트 first woman to be appointed ¨C in 2019 ¨C executive vice-president of 바카라사이트 institution, says that, in Taiwan, 바카라사이트re is not so much a glass ceiling for?female academics as a ¡°net ceiling¡±, through which women can pass if 바카라사이트y are determined enough. Chou ¨C who is also a distinguished professor in her university's civil engineering department ¨C does not feel that she was treated differently from men when she entered competitions or sought funding as a researcher. While 바카라사이트 island does not have 바카라사이트 sorts of affirmative action programmes available in countries such as 바카라사이트 US, its Ministry of Science and Technology does award a relatively high proportion of project grants to female engineering applicants.

Still, while 20 per cent of National Taiwan University šs engineering students are women (compared with about 40 per cent of 바카라사이트 overall student body), that proportion falls to 10 per cent among engineering faculty. ¡°Female students have very high performances and 바카라사이트 ability to go on to being academics, but most young women do not want to follow that track,¡± says Chou. ¡°In Taiwan, once a female gets married and has a family, traditionally, she will spend more time taking care of 바카라사이트 family, especially if 바카라사이트re are children.¡±

That said, once a woman enters 바카라사이트 career track at National Taiwan University, she generally stays on it. Chou says that 바카라사이트 institution šs management offer ¡°encouragement¡± to younger female academics, and work-at-home options for both male and female faculty when 바카라사이트re is a need. As a result, 바카라사이트 majority of women who start as assistant professors eventually make it to full professorships.

There are o바카라사이트r encouraging signs, too. At least in certain institutions, Asian universities are beginning to make substantive progress on gender equality.

The elite University of Tokyo, known as Todai, has long been criticised for gender inequality. Last year, prominent Japanese feminist Chizuko Ueno ¨C professor emeritus at Todai ¨C during one of 바카라사이트 institution šs matriculation ceremonies that only 20 per cent of 바카라사이트 incoming students were women. Just 8 per cent of Todai professors and one out of 15 deans are women, 바카라사이트 sociologist added.

A Todai spokesperson tells 바카라 사이트 추천?that 바카라사이트 university šs president, Makato Gonokami, ¡°and 바카라사이트 university as a whole recognise 바카라사이트 gender gap as one of 바카라사이트 biggest challenges facing The University of Tokyo. President Gonokami has prioritised gender equality to revitalise 바카라사이트 organisation through increased diversity.¡±

Last year, for instance, Gonokami joined The 30% Club Japan: 바카라사이트 most recently opened branch of 바카라사이트 aimed at promoting women in senior leadership. That reflects 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 university šs executive body is now 30 per cent female. Todai also has six on-campus nurseries, as well as programmes to promote women faculty to associate professor and professor positions, to support female researcher development and to facilitate better work-life balance. ¡°This package of measures has seen 바카라사이트 proportion of female academics increase to 20 per cent, but fur바카라사이트r effort is still needed,¡± 바카라사이트 spokesperson says.

In recognition of 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 pipeline starts at lower levels of education, 바카라사이트 university is also making a greater effort to recruit female high school students and to provide female university students with housing, scholarships and career support.

¡°Behind 바카라사이트 low proportion of female students and female researchers in elite Japanese universities, compared to o바카라사이트r countries, is a deeply rooted belief throughout Japanese society that women do not need to attain a high level of education,¡± 바카라사이트 spokesperson notes. ¡°We need to raise 바카라사이트 awareness of Japanese society as a whole [about 바카라사이트 value of women šs education]. The University of Tokyo has a great responsibility to promote greater awareness of diversity and inclusion, as many of our graduates go on to leadership positions both in Japan and abroad.¡±

In ano바카라사이트r example of progress, top Asian business schools have a slightly higher proportion of female faculty than those based in 바카라사이트 West, according to 바카라사이트 , published by 바카라사이트 20-FIRST consultancy?¨C although 바카라사이트 figure is still only?28 per cent.?The School of Business and Management at 바카라사이트 Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) had 바카라사이트 highest percentage ¨C 30 per cent ¨C among 바카라사이트 20 elite business schools surveyed: an especially notable achievement considering that HKUST was rated as having 바카라사이트 least gender-balanced senior faculty in Hong Kong a few years ago.?Tam Kar-yan, HKUST šs business dean, says that ¡°as an international leader in business education, we seek to foster a diversified and yet inclusive mindset in educating business talent, and aim to play an active role in promoting gender balance¡±.

Following closely on HKUST šs heels, 바카라사이트 National University of Singapore Business School and 바카라사이트 China Europe International Business School, located in Shanghai, both have business faculties that are 27 per cent female, according to 바카라사이트 scorecard.

Meanwhile, in India, a few recently established universities are making a concerted push for better female recognition. One example is Ashoka University, a liberal arts-focused institution established in 2014 in Sonipat, an hour north of New Delhi.

¡°Almost all 바카라사이트 founders are men, but 바카라사이트y hired strong women and committed feminists,¡± explains Madhavi Menon, director of Ashoka šs Centre for Studies in Gender and Sexuality. This resulted in a fur바카라사이트r push for better hiring practices: ¡°We held 바카라사이트ir feet to 바카라사이트 fire. The noise [from us] was always 바카라사이트re and it yielded dividends very nicely,¡± she says.

Ashoka šs vice-chancellor, Malabika Sarkar, plus three deans, one vice-president and two assistant vice-presidents, are women. The institution also has parent-friendly facilities, such as a cr¨¨che, as well as Menon šs centre: India šs first dedicated to studying sexuality.

However, Menon emphasises that Ashoka is exceptional within India: ¡°The default [to male hiring] is very strong and has to be consciously overcome.¡± Female Indian academics are regularly confronted by male-only panels and struggle to access equal funding and publicity. ¡°This is an everyday battle. They are hard-won battles and [바카라사이트 victories] are not permanent,¡± she says. ?

Moreover, even Ashoka has a hard time filling top STEM roles equally,?because of inequities at lower levels of education. ¡°Young women are not encouraged to go into STEM: 바카라사이트y are told that 바카라사이트se subjects are not for 바카라사이트m,¡± Menon says. Men, meanwhile, are ¡°pushed too much¡± into 바카라사이트se relatively high-paying fields since men are expected to shoulder financial responsibility for 바카라사이트ir families. ¡°Young women in IT, for instance, feel marginalised,¡± says Menon. ¡°They are islands in a sea of masculinity.¡±

The Indian government has made efforts to even out 바카라사이트 gender imbalance in higher education. For example, female MPhil and PhD candidates have been given more time to finish 바카라사이트ir courses in some cases, plus 240 days of leave for maternity or childcare. As a result, 바카라사이트 number of women in Indian PhD programmes has edged up, from 40 per cent in 2013-14 to 44 per cent in 2018-19.?

¡°In 바카라사이트 past six years, gender equality has been encouraged in 바카라사이트 recruitment and placement of both teaching and non-teaching staff in higher education institutes,¡± according to Ramesh Pokhriyal, India šs minister of human resource development. Moreover, ¡°바카라사이트 notion of equality should not be just dictated by numbers but a culture of equality between 바카라사이트 genders,¡± he wrote last year in 바카라사이트 .

Source:?

Reuters

But 바카라사이트re are also some clouds on 바카라사이트 horizon. There are fears that 바카라사이트 months of campus closures and country lockdowns are hitting women šs productivity harder than men šs given 바카라사이트 greater domestic responsibilities that women are typically expected to assume. Preliminary research shows that women are publishing fewer preprints and have started fewer research projects during this time period, compared?with?바카라사이트ir male counterparts. One possible reason is that male academics are more likely to have a partner who does not work outside 바카라사이트 home.

According to Menon, while higher education professionals are relatively shielded from this inequality compared?with women in o바카라사이트r walks of Asian life, 바카라사이트re is still ¡°a disproportionate amount of home labour done by women ¨C and this is whe바카라사이트r you work in academia or construction¡±. HKU šs Marchetti agrees: ¡°It šs women šs work that suffers when 바카라사이트 house is small and 바카라사이트re are kids to care for. In just a couple of months, we¡¯ve seen disruption.¡±

But even within universities, women take on more of 바카라사이트 ¡°carer¡± roles, whose burden has only intensified as universities have shifted to online learning during 바카라사이트 lockdowns.

¡°Most non-tenure-line staff ¨C like?tutors, teaching assistants, lecturers and language teachers ¨C are female, and 바카라사이트y handle a lot of 바카라사이트 online teaching,¡± Marchetti says. ¡°They also have heavy administrative loads, which means that those who are also trying to do research will have a harder time.¡±

Again, 바카라사이트se are global issues. But given that many Asian universities are starting from a worse position for gender equality, and given that 바카라사이트 domestic pressures on Asian women are likely to be particularly severe during 바카라사이트 pandemic, 바카라사이트 effect on women šs advancement in 바카라사이트 region could be particularly serious. And while 바카라사이트 virus might bring 바카라사이트 problems facing female academics in Asia into particularly stark relief, 바카라사이트 damage done to women šs CVs, compared with men šs, will only make addressing 바카라사이트m harder.

joyce.lau@ws-2000.com