Is gender equality a policy matter in Korean and Japanese universities? Challenges for academics in higher education institutions

This study explores policy initiatives on gender equality and the status of the gender distribution of full-time faculty members in higher education in Korea and Japan, drawing on international and domestic data. The two countries share a similar trend of increasing participation of women in society due to strong central government policy initiatives. As part of this trend, the governments and universities in both countries are making great efforts to recruit female faculty members in line with global standards, and the numbers and proportion of female academics in higher education institutions have increased in both countries over the last thirty years. However, a limited number of studies have examined Korean and Japanese academics from the perspective of gender equality. This chapter provides an overview of the policy initiatives regarding gender equality in and relevant to higher education, including the limitations of these policy approaches. In addition, the current gender composition of academics in higher education institutions is examined and challenges for academics regarding gender equality are discussed.