2006.9.30 in Nagoya“Murasaki” is the origin of the history of Japanese womenin chemistry
Yoshihito MORI
From Gender Equality Committee of the Chemical Society of JapanAnd Department of Chemistry of Ochanomizu University

The Chemical Society of Japan
Established in 1878
Members
31,694
Females
3,055 (9.6%)
from 2005 database1

academic society member
6,000

5,000

women

4,000

others
chem

3,000

2,000

1,000

00

5,000

10,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,00045,000total
By EPMEWSEIs chemistry a good field for women ?

The EPMEWSE analysis

2Member balance of academic society
Women and man
Choosing a major

Getting a job

Student members

Regular members

The EPMEWSE analysis

women in academic society
504540regular(%)

3530stvsrg
chem2520151050051015202530

3540

4550

student(%)
By EPMEWSE

3

Where and What am I ?

A or B ?

ATeacherStudent

Gender issues, frequently
Department of Chemistry in a women’s university

Less knowledge, less experience, less power
to decide it !

MeWhat can I do ?

4Increase of student in science

Sience
16000
14000

B.M.
B.F.
M.M.
M.F.
D.M.
D.F.

St udent

12000
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
1970

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

Y ea r

By Torikai
from the governmental database

Change in a chemical lab.
womenwomen and men

5What can I do ? On many places in chemistry, probably

Where is helpful one ?

A or B ?

Yoshie SOMAY.S is Chair of Gender Equality Committee of the Chemical Society of Japan
Since 2002

6

Gender Equality Committee of the Chemical Society of Japan

Activities of Gender Equality
Committee in C.S.J.
1.Symposium
2.Positive action to C.S.J
3.Nursery at annual meeting
4.Participation in EPMEWSE(Japan Inter-Society Liaison Association Committee for
Promoting Equal Participation of Men and Women inScience and Engineering.)

7

Symposium of
Gender Equality CommitteeTheme
2002.3

Gender Equality and the role of female scientists

2002.9Gender Equality and the development of science

2003.3The development of science and gender equality

2004.3The development of science and gender equality

2005.3Model female scientists utilizing female sense

2006.3

Balance of childcare and chemistry

Positive Action of Gender
Equality Committee (in 2003)
1. To increase female members on the board of directors,
many committees up to 20% by 2010
2. To show female role models in lecture meeting, andsymposium as invited speaker or plenary speaker
3. To give awards to outstanding female chemists

Result: One seat was dedicated for female
on the board of directors.

8

Nursery during annual meeting
2001 At 79th annual meeting
3 days, 10 children, 3 baby-sitters,
1000yen/h, 120,000 yen
2002 At 81st annual meeting
3 days, 6 children, 300,000 yen
2003 At 83rd annual meeting
4 days, 12 children,
1000yen/h, 200,000 yen

Participation to the meeting of foreigncountries
1. 224 ACS national meeting, Boston (2002.Aug.)
75 years celebration of women chemists committee
2. 39th IUPAC Congress and 86th Conference of C.S.C (2003)
3. Pacifichem 2005, Honolulu(2005, Dec.)

9

Reasons for low proportion of women inleadership positions
w o rkp la c e e n v iro n m e n t

FemaleMalela c k o f role m o d e ls
w o m e n le a v e w o rkd iffic u lt to m a in ta in fa m ily a n dc a re e re v a lu a to rs m in d se t to giv ep re fe re n c e to m e n0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Ways to Promote Gender Equality
Men must work for family andcareer
Change in men's mindset
FemaleMale

Understanding of supervisors
Expansion of social security
system
Improvement of workplaceenvironment
0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

10

To promote Gender Equality
1. Improvement of workplace environment
2. Change in men’s mindset
3. Men must maintain a sense of family andcareer
4. Presenting female role models

What is the goal ?

Private profit

No private profit, no public happiness (my opinion)

11iIs the CSJ committee a concierge ?
(My opinion)
Common idealChemistry
population

Working style
work life balance

Human network
Role models
Other information
adviser

Finally,Murasaki…….

purpleMadame Murasaki,the first woman writer in the 11th cen.,
On a 2000-yen billdye
Chika KURODA
the first women Ph. D in chemistry in 192912