Study claims absolute number of women is more important than ratio to achieve gender equality in STEM fields

A recent study led by Kyushu University, Tokyo Institute of Technology, and the University of California, San Diego finds that focusing solely on the increase in the proportion of female academics is not enough to accurately assess gender equality in Japan. did. The researchers proposed a new evaluation model that incorporates the percentage and total number of women and academic performance to provide a more comprehensive evaluation and support the active participation of women in academic fields.

The study, published in the International Journal of Educational Research Open on October 18, 2024, shows that the absolute number of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) sectors has a significant impact on research outcomes. are.

In Japan, despite decades of government efforts to promote gender equality in academia, women in STEM fields still struggle to receive equal treatment and recognition. . Although institutions cite the increasing representation of women as a sign of progress, this may paint an overly optimistic picture.

These statistics are often inflated by the increase in female students and young researchers and do not reflect true equality in career advancement or working conditions. The underrepresentation of women in senior academic and decision-making roles highlights persistent gender bias in academia.

“The focus on percentages reflects the perspective of policymakers, often men, rather than the actual experiences of women in STEM fields,” said the study’s lead author, Institute for Advanced Materials Chemistry at Kyushu University. Professor Kaoru Tamada says: “What really matters to women is the number of allies they can collaborate with on a daily basis. We need to create a framework that truly supports women.”

To address this gap, Tamada and colleagues developed a quantitative evaluation method called the Academic Gender Equity Index (Academic_GEI). This indicator evaluates the academic performance of female researchers in faculties, departments, and institutes, taking into account the percentage and absolute number of female faculty members.

The team utilized three metrics: total number of female faculty, percentage of women, and academic output within the system. Academic_GEI requires that male and female researchers perform equally in terms of research output in an ideal gender-neutral situation. Applying the results of this study to a variety of academic institutions in Japan, the United States, and Europe, the research team found that while female researchers at Western institutions generally have equal research output to their male counterparts, Japanese universities We found that there was a large variation.

In Japanese academia, female faculty members either perform below average or outperform their colleagues. Researchers believe the former is due to hiring practices aimed at increasing female representation by hiring younger, less experienced women.

“The latter points to the systematic underrepresentation of women in STEM hiring, where women often have to significantly outperform men to receive equal recognition in Japan,” Tamada said. say. Therefore, neither scenario reflects gender equality.

The study concludes that traditional indicators that focus solely on the proportion of women in the teaching profession show little correlation with women’s academic performance. Alternatively, the total number of female faculty members in each research unit has a significant impact on research results.

Having more female colleagues creates a supportive environment where women can network, advance their careers, and achieve higher and more consistent results. This leads to improved gender equality and is critical to ensuring diversity and integrating gender perspectives in science, technology and innovation.

In the future, Tamada and his colleagues plan to expand their research to include local and private universities in Japan and exchange information internationally. We will continue to improve these metrics as we collect more data.

As a woman in STEM, Tamada is focused on creating an equitable academic environment that fosters innovation and encourages women’s contributions. “Academics nurture future generations. As scientific professionals, we have both the ability and responsibility to address societal issues through academic methods and create a gender-neutral environment for future generations.” she says.