The Present Status of Gender Equality and Measures

  1. Education and learning to promote gender equality

    Gender disparities in major field of study
    While more women are aiming to attend four-year universities, differences have been noted between the areas of specialty chosen by women and men in their universities (university departments). Those areas of specialty characteristic of women students are also reflected in women researchers' specialty areas, and a look at full-time researchers at universities, etc., by specialty reveals high ratios of women in health-related areas outside medicine and dentistry (pharmacology, nursing, etc.), education and home economics, etc., and humanities, etc. (Figure 38).

    Figure 38: Ratio of male and female researchers by area of specialty at universities, etc.
    Figure 38: Ratio of male and female researchers by area of specialty at universities, etc.

    Source:

    Survey of Research and Development (1996), Management and Coordination Agency

    Ratio of female-teaching staff
    Women comprise 60% of teaching staff at elementary schools, with this ratio decreasing markedly the higher the grade at junior and senior high school. Compared to teaching staff, the ratio of women principals and vice principals is also low overall.

    Looking at the ratio of women principals of elementary schools by prefecture, there are major disparities among prefectures (Figure 39).

    Figure 39: Ratio of women principals of elementary schools (by prefecture)
    Figure 39: Ratio of women principals of elementary schools (by prefecture)

    Source:

    Schools Basic Survey (1997), Ministry of Education

    Even in higher education institutions, while women teachers comprise 40% of teaching staff at junior colleges, this ratio is only a little over 10% in the case of four-year universities, with a low percentage of women presidents and vice-presidents in particular.