Digital 'Top' Korea-China-Japan... Gender Equality in STEM Fields is 'Last' [Reading Science]

Korea Foundation for Women in Science and Technology, Publishes Report "The Future is Equal - Gender Equality in the Technology Industry"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] The three Northeast Asian countries?Korea, China, and Japan?are leading digitalization through technological development and innovation in ICT and other fields. However, there are contrastingly severe gender gaps and inequalities across society, including the science and technology sectors, highlighting the need for improvement.

The Korea Foundation for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (WISET), in collaboration with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), conducted a survey on workplace gender equality in the science and technology fields of Korea, China, and Japan, and published the report titled "The Future is Equal ? Gender Equality in the Technology Industry."

According to the report, Korea, China, and Japan are leading global ICT technological advancements. In terms of added value in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector, China ranks 2nd, Japan 3rd, and Korea 5th worldwide. However, they face serious social gender gaps and inequalities. In the 2021 Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI), these countries ranked 107th (China), 120th (Japan), and 102nd (Korea) out of 156 surveyed countries, with their rankings in women's economic participation and opportunity at 69th, 117th, and 123rd respectively.

The same applies to the science and technology fields. Although the proportion of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Medicine) personnel is increasing, it remains low. In Korea, the number of female STEM bachelor's graduates rose from around 30% in 2008 to 32% in 2018, and the number of female STEM doctoral graduates doubled from 762 to 1,433. However, as of 2018, women accounted for only 20% of STEM researchers. In Japan, the proportion of female STEM bachelor's graduates increased from less than 15% in 1992 to over 30% in 2013, and female doctoral graduates rose from 10% to 25% during the same period. Yet, as of 2017, women made up only about 16% of STEM researchers. In China, the overall proportion of female undergraduates increased from 37% in 1997 to 53% in 2018, but women accounted for less than 30% of STEM researchers.

The report pointed out that discrimination against women exists from the hiring stage. In China, many companies restrict the eligibility of "married women with children" during recruitment to avoid providing paid maternity leave. It was also cited that two-thirds of new job advertisements in 117 cities through public recruitment services specify gender requirements, with more postings explicitly seeking men rather than women.

In Korea, while discrimination in job postings has disappeared, interview panels do not consider gender balance, and female candidates are often asked about marriage and childbearing plans during interviews, whereas male candidates are mainly asked work-related questions. In Japan, companies tend to prefer hiring fresh graduates over women who are responsible for family care when recruiting for regular positions.

Even after employment, discrimination exists in wages, working conditions, and promotions. According to OECD statistics, among these three countries, Korea has the largest gender wage gap, with median female wages 32.5% lower than males. Japan’s gender wage gap is 23.5%, the second largest among 36 member countries, and a 2018 survey in China found a 28% gender wage gap.

The same trend is seen in the science and technology industry. In China, the gender wage gap in information security and data services was 28% in 2018, and 27% in the e-commerce sector, similar to the overall societal gender wage gap. In Japan, the gender wage gap in the science and technology industry was 26%, even higher than the national average. In Korea, the gender wage gap in digital-intensive industries was 27%, lower than the overall average but higher than the 20% gap in less digital-intensive industries.

The report also highlighted women’s burden of household chores. Citing data from the UN and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), it noted that women in Asia spend about four times more time on unpaid care and housework than men on average. Japanese women spend 5.1 times, Korean women 4.4 times, and Chinese women 2.6 times more time on unpaid care and housework than their male counterparts. Furthermore, the glass ceiling is severe: only 5% of chief technology officers (CTOs) in Fortune 100 IT companies, 2% of CEOs in top IT companies in the Asia-Pacific region, and 10% of board members are women. In Korea, women hold only about 10% of management positions in STEM fields, and in Japan, women accounted for just 20% of IT engineers in 2019, with about 6% in leadership roles. However, in China, about 55% of founders of new internet startups are women, indicating a positive trend toward enhancing women’s economic empowerment and leadership participation.