Report Cover

Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in the Asia-Pacific, the latest report from the Zhongguancun Global High-level Think Tank Alliance (ZGCTA) was published on APEC official website as a critical research output from Women in STEM: Study and Exchange on Rewards, Incentives and Policies to Promote Innovation Development in the APEC Region, a project under APEC PPSTI and presided over by Dr. Li Junkai, ZGCTA Secretary-General and Director of the International and Regional Cooperation Center of the Beijing Academy of Science and Technology (BJAST). The Report dives into policy status, development overview and challenges faced by women in STEM in the Asia-Pacific region, and puts forward policy recommendations.

The Report details policy measures of Asia-Pacific economies in promoting women’s participation in STEM, including incorporating a key indicator of women’s participation in STEM into the formulation of science and technology policies, establishing high-level institutions to support women’s equal development, and leveraging the positive role of international organizations in boosting women’s engagement in STEM innovation. It summarizes valuable policy practices, such as strengthening women’s STEM education, providing professional training, setting up special funds and awards, stipulating the proportion of female employees and women in senior management positions, and rolling out policies which prioritize women’s interests so as to ensure their career development.

Based on 2,629 valid questionnaires from eight Asia-Pacific economies (China, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and South Korea), the Report analyzes the current status of career development, challenges, and what they need in STEM. The survey indicates that in spite of their non-negligible contribution to STEM, their participation in decision-making still remains lackluster. Moreover, their overall voice and influence waits to be further enhanced. It is pointed out that the main challenges faced by women in STEM include burdensome administrative tasks, overwhelming pressure of research evaluation, lack of support from research teams, heavy family responsibilities, and disadvantage in accumulating research resources.

This Report puts forward policy recommendations in an attempt to support women’s participation and development in STEM, such as making available more scientific innovation platforms and opportunities, enhancing their influence and voice in scientific innovation activities, expanding promotion paths in S&T innovation ecosystem, strengthening the support for the young and middle-aged female in STEM, and providing more humanistic care for female S&T practitioners.

This project not only provides policy references and practical experience in boosting women’s participation in STEM in Asia-Pacific economies, but also calls on all parties to collaborate with each other, creating a more equitable, inclusive and sustainable environment for female S&T practitioners. As a multilateral exchange platform focusing on global S&T innovation as well as the cooperation between think-tanks, ZGCTA is committed to following up with the development of women in STEM, contributing to more dynamic and resilient S&T innovation in the Asia-Pacific region on the basis of gender equality.

 Text/Picture from ZGCTA Secretariat