WUNRN
CHINA - UNIVERSITIES CALLED ON TO
PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY
Editor: Liu Weiguo - September 13, 2012
China Women's News has called on presidents of universities across
the country to introduce more measures to promote gender equality in the
appointment of faculty and to protect female teachers' interests, in a letter
published on September 10, 2012, in conjunction with National Teachers' Day.
Recent years have seen a rapid increase in female teachers in China's
universities, and they have made great contributions to the growth of these
institutions, the letter states. However, it then adds that female teachers
face numerous obstacles in pursuing career growth.
For instance, only 15 percent of senior positions in 10 universities located in
central China's Hubei Province have been given to female teaching staff,
according to the Studies on the Development of Female Teachers in China's
Universities.
The studies show that there are four main obstacles facing female teachers
today, namely childbirth, a male-dominated appraisal system, patriarchal
concepts of male superiority, and different retirement ages.
To create a better environment for female teachers, the letter puts forth
several proposals:
to take into consideration childbirth and lower the age
requirement for female teachers in the appraisal system
to reserve a quota for female teachers in the
appointment of faculty
to maintain gender balance in university leadership
and strengthen the cultivation and employment of female teachers
to introduce same-age retirement with minor
adjustments
to promote the people's sense of gender equality in
their private lives
___________________________________________________________
http://www.womenofchina.cn/html/womenofchina/report/144913-1.htm
SURVEY - ADVANCED COLLEGE DEGREE MAY MAKE CHINESE WOMEN SEEM OVER-QUALIFIED BY SOCIETY
Editor: Hou Jianjun - September 14, 2012
A recent
survey on 2,708 Chinese female college teachers under the age of 40 shows that
72.1 percent of them feel hindered by their advanced qualifications in their
search for a partner, and that 20 percent think they are disparaged by
society.
|
|
|
20% of female college teachers think women with doctoral degrees are disparaged by Chinese society. [lsnews.com.cn] |
The survey
was launched by a research team led by Lian Si, an associate professor with the
University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.
"Young female college teachers receive the most education among all women.
Based on data from the Ministry of Education, female college teachers accounted
for more than 45 percent of all college teachers by the end of 2010," said
Lian.
"These women have more financial independence and career opportunities,
but shoulder the heaviest burdens; they take on household duties and social
roles as well as their jobs," he added.
The survey also shows that 96.1 percent of female college teachers hold
doctorate degrees, but less than 60 percent are married.
Although most of those surveyed think that having advanced qualifications has
raised their status in the family and enables them to have more say, Chinese
society has a tendency to disparage them as unwomanly or unnatural.
According to the results of a separate questionnaire in which over 5,000 people
participated, 34.4 percent of female college teachers believe that women with
doctoral degrees are disparaged by society, 12.7 percent of men and 20 percent
of women think advanced degrees are less attractive than before, and only 9.1
percent of women think being highly qualified has enhanced their
attractiveness.
Lian also revealed that there is a gender disparity in job titles. "Among
the teachers who have the title of 'professor' or 'associate professor', men
outnumber women by two- or threefold," said Lian.
(Source: chinanews.com/Translated by womenofchina.cn)