Japan lags in researcher gender equality

The proportion of female researchers in Japan remains much lower than in other developed countries, according to a report.

Government data show that just 15.3 per cent of researchers working in public institutions and businesses in Japan in March 2016 were women, the Japan Times reported on 19 July.

This is way below international comparators, the report said. The Japanese government’s own data put the equivalent statistics for Russia, the UK and the United States at 40.3 per cent, 37.4 per cent and 34.3 per cent respectively, it said.