In a Men’s World:
Women in the Medical Profession inTaiwan: 1950-1995.
Ling-fang Cheng
Associate Prof. & Director of Graduate Instituteof Gender Studies,
Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan

The outline{ An overview picture{ Historical background{ Two theoretical perspectives:

Institutional exclusionz Cultural inclusion of masculinityz{ The medical education{ Choice of specialties{ Pyramid selection & Career promotion{ She needs a wife

{ Organization & New Changes

1Women doctors in %{1926-1960: 6.9% (?)
zz{Educated in Japanese women’s medical colleges
Arriving from China after 1949

1968: 5.4%
Male doctors educated in military medical college (since1950)z Few women graduated from medical collegesz{

1974: 4%z

Over 1000 male doctors demobilized from military

1980: 4.3%
1990: 6%{ 2000: 12%{{Doctors in Taipei Metropolitan byGender 1993
Generation male (no.& female(no.& %)%)
(no.&%)

total (no.&%)79- 60years old

847(96%)36(4%)

883(100%)

59-40
years old

1660
(92%)

144
(8%)

1804
(100%)

39-20
years old2883
(86.7%)

444(13.3%)

3327(100%)

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Historical background 1895-1945
TaiwanChinaNo medical education forwomen
1926-1942 middle classwomen educated inJapan
101
Tokyo Women’s
Medical College76
Imperial Women’s
Medical College50
Toyo Women’s
Dental College

Co-education in medicalcolleges
50% women graduates

Two theoretical perspectives:{ Institutional exclusion

exclusion in historical context: Japanese colonial
periodz Privileged class + women’s education is less valued
z women’s quota in specialties
z Pyramid selectionz{ Cultural inclusion of masculinity:

Masculinity as a norm in the profession ≧patriarchal social valuez ‘sex-neutral’ education
z professional identity: specialties
z She needs a wifez3

Medical Education:
gender, class, ethnicity{{{

1965: 61% from medical families,
17% from rural areas.
more local
1982: 46.7% from medical families.
more local
1985: 47% middle class.
4% of women against 22% menfrom lower class
more local
1995: 6% from medical families
70% civil servant & businessfamilies‘Sex-neutral’ Medical Education(cultural inclusion){ Women constitute 30% of master & Ph.D.

Less family burden. different from physics{ Educating women doctors to have less(negative) femininity and more (positive)
masculinity which is associated withprofessionalism.
{ gender bias in medical knowledge without
challenge.

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Choice of Specialties (overview){ Major specialties vs. minor specialties
zzsurgery, ob-gyn, pediatrics, internal medicine
The other specialties{ Gendered images of specialties

Before 1980s: Run a clinic with husband → ob-gyn
or pediatrics
z After 1980s: working in hospital →less demanding specialties, ophthalmology,
dermatology, radiology, rehabilitation.
z

Women’s quota in specialties(institutional exclusion){ Women graduates had to choose minorspecialties. For major specialties, they
had to wait for male classmatescompleted military service.
{ Men after military service can apply forthe 4 major specialties.
{ Limited quota for women in somespecialties, due to pregnancy.

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Pyramid Residential training structure(institutional exclusion){ Graduates prefer to stay in the medical

centers for Residential training{ R1 (16) → R2 （10）→ R3 （5） →R4 （3） → Chief resident (1) →Visiting staff. Women are excluded ateach level.

Career promotion (cultural inclusion){ Studying abroad: men bring family

abroad, women are tided down.
{ Women ‘as mother’ can wait.
{ Social networking: Men’s ‘brotherhood’(homosocial), women isolated or
related to husband’s net{ Heads of department are almost always
male.

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She needs a wife (femininity){ Role as wifez Keep his face & being low key{ Mother’s role slow down her

professional development.
z Learning & trainingz Conference gatheringsz Studying abroadz The help of her mother or foreign domesticworkers

Organization & New Changes{ Women Physicians Associationz

Established for 30 year:{ Early period is for helping the poor
{ After 1990s, for networkingz

Not yet for structural & ideas challenge{ Younger women are influenced by thefeminist movements (individual){ ‘Gender and medicine workshops’ & STS —challenging the biased medical knowledge
and practice. (trickling)7

Difficulties in Change & New Possibility{

Difficulties:

Privileged group resists changes
Medical education do not teaches critical thinkingz Individual women doctors exhausted between
career & familyzz{New possibility:

Gender Equity Education Act 2004
Feminist parliament members dictate theeducation & hospital evaluation policies— gendereducation is compulsory & women’s friendly
hospitals.
z Challenges from the State via funding & evaluation
systemzz8

Thank you for yourlistening!
Looking forward tohearing yourcomments!!

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