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Parallel Event to 55^th Session of United Nations Council on the Status of Women

"Access and participation of women and girls to education, training, science and technology, including for the promotion of women’s equal access to full employment and decent work".

Korean National Council of Women

February 25, 2011

Access and participation of women and girls to science and technology in the Asia Pacific Region – the case of Korea

Junhui Joo, PhD (Women’s Institute for Negotiation & Leadership)

I.                   Why Science and Technology for Women

     The past decade has witnessed a revolutionary change in science and technology which created a new global economy powered by technology, fueled by information, and driven by knowledge.  Smart phones and iPads have revolutionized the way people communicate and acquire knowledge day to day.  Science and technology is the source of power and therefore is an important area of concern for techno feminism that deals with the impact of new science and technology on the human right of women.[1] While there are great opportunities arising from such a change, prejudice and poverty exclude millions of girls from taking advantage of all that technology can offer.  Women’s labor is being excluded from automation and high tech. Women must have access to appropriate research processes, scientific knowledge and technologies to alleviate feminized poverty.   

     While access and participation of women in education and training has improved in many parts of the world in modern times, science and technology is still considered to be a male area in many parts of the world, and women and girls represent only a small portion of graduate students, researchers, and professors in the field. Statistics indicate that in most regions of the world, science and technical studies are pursued less often by girls than by boys through all levels of schooling.

     Therefore international consensus has been formed that efforts should be made to encourage women and girls to improve access and participation of women and girls to science and technology in the Asian Pacific Region.

     There has been developing consensus in international society that women should be encouraged to advance into science and technology.  The 1995 United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development (UNCSTD) Transformative Actions stipulated gender equity in SET education. This implies that:

·         the same opportunities for access to formal education for both girls and boys must be provided;

·         equal opportunity must be provided within school;

·         literacy and basic instruction in SET for both boys and girls must be ensured;

·         use of teaching materials sensitive to gender concerns in terms of language and illustrations must be ensured;

·         the teaching of science should be broadened to include elements addressing the economic, social and ethical implications of science and technology;

·         the importance of mentors and role models through women science teachers must be recognized and rewards must be provided to those who devote substantial time to this activity;

·         opportunities for distance education and re-entry to schools must be provided;

·         multiple opportunities for re-entry, especially for young mothers, must be provided;

·         education programs with flexible locations and schedules to enable more students, especially girls, to acquire scientific literacy must be introduced;

·         new approaches to SET education like distance learning, making optimal use of both old (radio) and new (multimedia) technologies, must be introduced.  

The UN Millennium Declaration (2000) resolved to ensure that the benefits of new technologies, especially information and communication technologies, are available to all.  Article 42 of the Declaration on science and the use of scientific knowledge adopted by the UNESCO/ICSU World Conference on Science on July 1, 1999 expresses that “The difficulties encountered by women, considering over half of the world’s population, in entering, pursuing and advancing in a career in the sciences and in participating in decision making in science and technology should be addressed urgently.”

The Agreed Conclusions 2003 of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women states that “information and communication technologies offer tools for enhancing women’s full access to the benefits of information and new technologies.”  In 2011, the 55^th Commission on the Status of Women is held on the theme of: "Access and participation of women and girls to education, training, science and technology, including for the promotion of women’s equal access to full employment and decent work".

     This paper will review the current state of women and girls participation in Korea, the obstacles to access and participation, and current efforts at the governmental and nongovernmental level, and make suggestions on how to increase the access and participation.

II.                 Low access and participation of women and girls to science and technology in Korea

                        Even in Western countries, women still constitute less than 1/3 of those professionals in science and technology.  The situation is worse in the Asian Pacific Region.  In the Middle East, only 6% of girls have access to the internet. In Asia, it's 22%, and in Latin America, 32%.

In Korean case, equal education has been the most effective tools of social change.  In 2009, girls had higher college entrance rate (82.4%) than boys (81.6%) for the first time.  Women’s proportion among all the graduate school graduates increased from 29% in 1997 to 46% in 2008.   Women’s development in education led to rapid expansion of women’s social participation especially since 2003.  Women account for 39.1% of the new attorneys, 65.7% of new diplomats, and 50% of new civil employees. They account for 13.7% of National Assemblypersons, 21.5% of judges, 15.7% of prosecutors, and 31.1% of school administrators in 2010. 

In the field of science and technology also, there has been increased participation of women, but it still remains low compared to other areas.  Women accounted for 10% of young research and development personnel in the 1990’s which increased to 20% in 2008.  (Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, 2008)
 

     While girl students accounted for 38.1% of medical school students in 2009, and 37% of law school, but only 13.9% of engineering school students.  Those in Natural Science fields decreased from 33.5% in 2003 to 31.7% in 2009.   In the field of engineering, women accounted for 17% of college graduates in engineering, and 14% of Master’s and PhD’s in 2006. A good sign is that the gender gap among the grduates has been decreasing since 2006.  In 2008, 61.4% of male graduates in engineering were employed, while 61.0% of females were.

     One of the obstacles to women’s access to science and technology is the prevalent stereotyped notion that the field is mainly for men, based on the seemingly scientific distinction between left brain and right brain, that men’s brains are inherently more suitable for math and science while women’s brains are better fitted for language. 

     However such gender stereotypes that draw girls away from science and technology must be eliminated, as must false concepts like viewing domestic work as the exclusive responsibility of women. The conventional wisdom that sex differences in vocational interests (e.g., men prefer working in hands-on environments while women prefer working with people), play a critical role in gender disparity in scientific and technological fields is challenged by studies that indicate that interest in science and technology is linked to science pedagogy and curricula, teaching strategies and materials.

Obstacles to women’s rights to equal education and access to science and technology should be removed to promote and protect human rights of women. Especially since the 21^st century interdisciplinary science and technology of information, bio engineering, and ultra fine Nano science would require women's sensitive, detail-oriented, and flexible characteristics. 

     School curricula often reinforce prevailing gender stereotypes and textbooks often perpetuate gender-biases. Other barriers include the quality of the training received by teachers, the nature of the messages transmitted in the classroom where boys are more likely than girls to be rewarded in math and science classes, and few female role models exist.

III. Governmental and non-governmental efforts to expand women’s access and participation in science and technology in Korea

     One of the characteristics of rapid development in Korea is that the government played a leading role in social development, supported by research institutes and academics staffed with highly educated disciplined personnel as in the Confucian tradition.

The Korean government introduced the Act for the Training of and Support to Women in Science and Technology in 2002, and carried out the 4W programs:

-          1: 1 Mentoring between women in science and technology and girl students (WISE)

-          Training of women in engineering technology  (WATCH21)

-          Establishing a Korean Advanced Institute of Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (WIST), and

-          Supporting colleges and universities that provided leadership in engineering education (WIE). [2]

The government also provided $4.7-million for UN Women that launched in January this year. 

     WISE (Women into Science and Engineering) links a girl talented in science with a role model woman scientist 1:1 to share know how and solve a task together. 

Korean Advanced Institute of Women in Science, Engineering and Technology is an organizations established in 2011 to consolidate a system to maximize the efficiency of 4W project of the government through organic and close networks, supported by the government and Ehwa Woman’s University.[3] It recently held the congress of women in science and technology.[4]

The government also supports scientific research of women scientists.  It provides 20-million KRW every year to women scientists and 40-million KRW every year for three years to colleges and research institutes employing women scientists. Korean Institute of Science and Technology is required by the government to employ women scientists for more than 10%.

NGOs

     Another characteristic of the rapid development of Korea is that many voluntary NGOs were formed in a cooperative relationship with the government in implementing policies, mobilizing public opinion, while aggregating public opinion and exerting influence on the government decision making as well. 

      A good example in the field of women in science and technology is the Korean Federation of Women's Science and Technology Associations.  The organization was founded in October, 2003 and since its inception, the federation has contributed to developing the nation's capacity for science and technology by enhancing the competency of women scientists and engineers and fulfilling equality in employment based on a gender-equality principle. It has continuously grown since its establishment to become a federation of about 28,000 members from 32 organizations including:

Kwangju Jonnam Women in Science and Technology Network, Daegu Kyungbuk Women in Science and Technology Association, Korean Association of Home Economics, Korean Association of women Architects, Korean Association of Women Oriental Medicine Doctors, Korean Community Nutrition Society, East Asia Diet life Association, Women’s Bio Science Tech Forum, Women in Science and Technology Network, Korean Association of Women Engineers and Technicians, Korean Association of Women Inventors, Korean Association of Women Physicians, Korean Association of Chemical Engineers, etc.[5]

The NGO has carried out various activities of:

1. Considering and proposing policies to support gender-equality of women in science and technology
2. Conducting projects essential for supporting research by and exchange among women in science and technology
3. Executing service and commissioned projects related to science and technology
4. Promoting the welfare, rights and interests of women in science and technology
5. Conducting projects to create an environment where female students are encouraged to advance in the areas of science and technology
6. Supporting the establishment and development of women's science and technology organizations
7. Establishing and operating Women's Science and Technology Hall
8. Enhancing relations with international women's science and technology organizations
9. Other activities necessary for fulfilling the mission of the federation

The NGO also carried the activities of building global networks, such as Korea-China-Japan Women leaders Forum on science and technology and the Korea-UK Women in Science Forum. In 2008, Asia Pacific Women's Science and Technology Leaders Forum was held.

The NGO aims at elevating the nation's status on the world stage by promoting global leadership by Korean women in science and technology and strengthening the nation's competitiveness for science and technology through greater participation of Korean women scientists and engineers in international venues.  
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Another NGO in the field, Women’s Bioscience Forum was founded in June, 2001 to promote the capacity of women in bioscience and to contribute to the development and distribution of bioscience through gender equality support. The organizations has provided L'Oreal Korea-UNESCO Women's Bioscience award since 2002.[6]  It also improved the system to expand the employment of women bioscientists.  It built networks among women bioscientists, and played an important role in formulating national strategy as opinion leader in bioscience technology.

The Association of Korean Women Scientists and Engineers was established in 1999[7] to expand the basis of women in science and technology, cooperate in research, and promote the status of women in science and technology, and friendship among members.

As such, increasing number of NGOs of women in science and technology has contributed to public awareness and increased advance of women in the field.

Another characteristic of Korean development is that women’s universities also played a leading role in promoting the status of women.  Sookmyong Women's University was awarded as the university to take charge of women’s information education by UNESCO in 2002. 

The most important non-governmental actor in the field is large corporations, since 67% of the researchers in the field of science and technology are employed by private corporations.  Many companies have policies to assist women in science and technology such as in-company childcare and flexible hours, which can be expanded in the future.

IV. Conclusion

     In Korean case, education and the governmental leadership as well as NGOs played an important role in promoting access and participation of women and girls to Science and Technology.  However, the field is still male dominant.  In order to improve the situation, we will suggest a few areas where concerned NGOs can make concerted efforts.

1.      Public awareness campaign:

      The basic difficulty is the social attitude that science and technology is a male field.  The mass media, for example contributes to perpetuating negative gender stereotypes. Television programs, advertisements, and toys send the message that science and technology are for boys. Negative stereotypes about girls’ abilities in math and other gender stereotypes may affect girls’ performance, self-assessment, and interest in science and mathematics.

Efforts should be made to raise public awareness on women’s social participation.  Successful women in science and technology, such as Madam Curie, astronauts, and engineers should be awarded and presented as role models.  Textbooks, TV, and mass media need to portray women in science and technology as successful and achieving.

2.      Women’s network through NGOs:  Women in science and technology themselves need to have a voice to represent their interest, to secure the employment environment to make work and family compatible and have long term careers.

3.      Education Reform

-                      Baby toys:  Research indicates that high-level accomplishment in science and

technology for both males and females is facilitated by exposure and opportunity at the pretertiary level. Girl babies should also be given the opportunity to play with the toys that can develop their aptitude in science and technology.

- Kindergarten:

Textbooks should be revised to eliminate the prejudice from Kindergarten textbooks and Programs and up. Furthermore, parent education classes should include the topic, as parental attitudes towards girls’ and boys’ abilities have been linked with lower rates of science and technology participation.

- Integration into elementary school programs/after school:  

Girls' Science Contest from elementary school up is one of the good ideas.

-Middle school;

Research has shown that effective educational strategies exist to foster the interest and persistence of middle school girls in science and technology. Provide girls with fellowships, grants and programs to address current disparities especially in the fields of science and technology.

- Invest in teacher and parent training:

Teachers must be qualified and trained in gender-sensitive teaching methods, so that they have high expectations for both girls and boys and can raise awareness of gender issues among students.

- Career Guidance in High Schools:  

Gender socialization begins at a young age and has been linked with development of gender-stereotyped behaviors and girls are not generally encouraged to make educational and career choices in the sciences or technology.  A program should be developed for high school career counselors.  Talented girls should be encouraged to advance into the field of science and technology.

4.      Assistance to women experts in Science and Technology:

Programs should be developed to retrain and update women who are returning to work after childbirth.

5.      Improve working environment:

In the long run, NGOs need to make efforts to improve working environment for women to make work and family compatible.  Many women scientists give up employment because of hardship in managing work and family at the same time.   Different work time, at home work, holidays and leaves, part time work, child care centers.  Public policies like access to credit, child care, expanded schools, and flexible hours for access to public services like health care can help improve labor flexibility for mothers and young women entering the workforce.

The government can have impact on building infrastructure to make work and family compatible, such as urging companies to have counseling centers, training to return to work, and in-company day care centers, etc.

6.      Women's representation at decision making

Ultimately, more women should be represented at the decision making level of at least 30% -50% to reflect women’s interest in the field of science and technology.

7. International Network:

Korean government can share more development assistance for women in Asia

Pacific and NGOs can share their experience with women in other parts of the world by developing regional and international networks.

References

Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.  Education Statistical Yearbook, each year.

__________________.  Report on the current state of women in science and technology, each year.

Sun- Mi Shin, Nam-Hee Kim (2006).  Proposal to train women in science and technology the next generation engine of grow in the industry fields.  Korea Women’s Development Institute.

http://www.unesco.org/science/wcs/meetings/apa_sydney_e_98.htm

Achmad, S. and Hermawati, W. Gender in Science: The Case of Indonesia and the Regional Secretariat for Gender, Science and Technology in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Paper to the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Conference on Science for the 21st Century, 1-5 December, 1998, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

Ancog, A. Women in Science. Paper to the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Conference on Science for the 21st Century, 1-5 December, 1998, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

Coomaraswamy, U. Women in Science and Development: A Sri Lankan Perspective. Paper to the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Conference on Science for the 21st Century, 1-5 December, 1998, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

Stephen J. Ceci and Wendy M. Williams, “Understanding current causes of women’s underrepresentation in science.”