Why

are there so
few womenat theUniversity of Tokyo ?
Gender ratio at UTokyo
Malestudents

Femalestudents

Male
professors

Femaleprofessors

The University of Tokyois committed to changing the gender balance on campus,
starting by addressing this long-unresolved question.

This leaflet discusses sensitive topics that might trigger flashbacks,
especially for individuals who have experienced gender discrimination.
Reader discretion is advised.

Blocking female educational and career paths#Headwinds

Are you part of the problem?

These are the words that have actually been said to female
students and researchers at the University of Tokyo.
( From an on-campus questionnaire survey / 687 students
and researchers )Blocking female educational and career paths#Headwinds

Are you part of the problem?

These are the words that have actually been said to female
students and researchers at the University of Tokyo.
( From an on-campus questionnaire survey / 687 students
and researchers )Blocking female educational and career paths#Headwinds

Are you part of the problem?

These are the words that have actually been said to female
students and researchers at the University of Tokyo.
( From an on-campus questionnaire survey / 687 students
and researchers )Innocuous comments
can become formidable
headwinds.
“You are a girl. You don’t need to push yourself
so hard.” “Isn’t it tough to juggle research withraising a child?” Imagine having to enduresuch comments throughout your entire life.
No matter how trivial they may appear, suchwords can accumulate to become formidable
headwinds that impede one’s progress. Suchlanguage can demotivate women exploring
future paths and can even influence theirchoices for the future. The fact that women
represent only about 20% of the student bodyand 10% of the full professors at UTokyo ist e l l i n g . Wo m e n i n J a p a n f a c e p o w e r f u l
headwinds even now. To change this, we needto inspire changes in how we all think. That’s
why UTokyo is committed to fostering anawareness of unconscious discriminationand to eliminating gender bias.

Blocking female educationaland career paths#Headwinds
Are you part of the problem?

UTokyo Gender Equity Initiative #WeChange
aimed at boosting female leadership
Double the growth rate of female professors andassociate professors.
Appoint around 300 new female faculty by 2027.
Under the leadership of President Teruo Fujii, the University of Tokyo is actively
pursuing the UTokyo Gender Equity Initiative #WeChange with the goal of
fostering more female leaders. The initiative is dedicated to raising awarenessamong all members of the UTokyo community. The university has set a targetof approximately 300 women among the 1,200 new professors and associate
professors to be appointed between 2022 and 2027. We also seek to boost theratio of female students ( both undergraduate and graduate ) from 25% to 30%.

Current status and goals at the University of Tokyo
We plan to appoint around 300 new female professors and associate professors,aiming to achieve a 25% female faculty ratio.
Number of female professors
and associate professors,
by year 2012 – 2023

200124150
100
500136

162

92

65

Professors

2012

150

2022

Ratios of female
students and faculty2023 ( current ) vs. 2027 ( target )

40%

30%
24.6%

20%

Associateprofessors

2023

0%

Students

2023 ( current )

25%
17.6%

Faculty2027 ( target )Our biggest step toward 2027 is changing
how we all think.
The #Headwinds project, detailed on the back of this leaflet, is an importantcomponent of the UTokyo Gender Equity Initiative #WeChange. It focuses on
addressing gender bias, one of the underlying causes of the current disparities,
and works to enhance awareness among members of the UTokyo community.

Target III

Rapid increase in the number offemale faculty members
Acceleratepto senioromotion
r pos of wition omens

Target IIlemaer s

Raise awa

earchrenessabout
genderyoung female res- Raising awarenessw erLaying the foundations
for gender equity

poTarget IEm

feofSeamless career pathway for female
tioradanresearchers from graduatepEx
school to senior positions

among the majority In

reac

se

fe ma leg rad u ate s tu dAc ce

tel er af em

ale

hi r

i ng

e nt sWhat are the #Headwinds blocking
educational and career paths for women?
Despite a growing awareness of gender discrimination, outdated genderroles deeply rooted in gender biases still prevail in Japan. With its predominantly
male faculty and student body, UTokyo mirrors those ongoing gender biases,
which can be cloaked by seemingly innocuous remarks. Such words havethe potential to impact all stages of a woman’s life, including her childhood,educational paths, and career decisions. At UTokyo, we label this typeof language—words that can undermine women’s ambitions and impact
their future opportunities—as #Headwinds. Our goal is to call attention
to such comments in order to confront and eliminate gender biases.

Let us recognize the gender inequities
around us. Let us think about those inequities
together as a university community.
“Why are there so few women at the Universityof Tokyo?” This question concerns every
member of the UTokyo community. We havedisplayed posters across the campus to raise
this question and to challenge the headwindsof discouraging language. Our goal is toincrease awareness of gender disparities andto stimulate conversation about this issue.

Whyare there sofew womenat theUniversity of Tokyo ?
Gender ratio at UTokyo
Male
students

Femalestudents

Male
professors

Femaleprofessors

The University of Tokyois committed to changing the gender balance on campus,starting by addressing this long-unresolved question.

This leaflet discusses sensitive topics that might trigger flashbacks,
especially for individuals who have experienced gender discrimination.
Reader discretion is advised.

Question poster

Blocking female educational and career paths#Headwinds

Are you part of the problem?

These are the words that have actually been said to female
students and researchers at the University of Tokyo.
questionnaire survey / 687 students and( From an on-campus
researchers )#Headwinds
poster

The #Headwinds poster displays actualcomments heard by students and researchers
at UTokyo.
The comments featured on the #Headwinds poster highlight the educational andcareer barriers faced by women. They were compiled from responses to a survey of687 students and researchers at UTokyo who shared their experiences. When asked“Why are there so few female undergraduate students at the University of Tokyo?,”many responders noted issues such as “the lack of female researchers in academia
and among the faculty at the university,” “a society that does not value education forwomen,” and “biases against female students and alumni of the University ofTokyo.” To foster a change in how we all think, we must each address the inequities
around us and recognize the critical role of the #WeChange initiative. Let us work
together to make UTokyo a university that anyone in the world would want to come to.

Some of the responses to the question “Why do you think there areso few female undergraduate students at the University of Tokyo?”
The university often feels dominated by males due to the low number ofFemale
female students. That can deter prospective female students from enrolling.
undergraduate
Media reports also suggest that high academic achievements are seen as a
student
plus for men in the dating scene; they might be a disadvantage for women.
Femalegraduatestudent /researcher

Japanese society still tends to undervalue women’s education. At theUniversity of Tokyo, the prevalent culture favors the male majority. There
are limited opportunities for females to come together and build solidarity.

With the launch of the #Headwinds project,
we are cheering everyone on!
At the University of Tokyo, we strive to create awelcoming environment that anyone would want tojoin, and we are dedicated to transforming themindset of the entire UTokyo community. Each person
on our campuses experiences precious moments thatare pivotal in enriching their lives. However, thevaluable time and opportunity for personal growth
Kaori Hayashi
can be easily compromised by verbal headwinds.
Executive Vice President
Many members of our community have recognized
University of Tokyo
the struggles of women and minorities, and they
are actively trying to make a difference by working to address the inequities
around us. Why not join us so that we can think about this issue together ?

To all who have endured #Headwinds
The headwinds you have encountered are not something you should evertolerate. You bear no blame for what has been directed at you—it is a sharedissue that concerns us all. Remember, you are not alone. Many have experienced
similar headwinds. Let us come together to support each other, foster
understanding, and move forward as one.

To all those who have noticed #Headwinds and taken action
Thank you to everyone who has already recognized these issues and shown
support in various ways. Headwinds obstructing gender equity continue toblow across our campus. Let us collaborate to build a sturdy forest as awindbreak against those stubborn headwinds. As allies united in support andaction, let us generate tailwinds for gender equity.

To all members of the campus community
Taking action requires courage. I know, as I have been there myself. But yourunderstanding and support can transform our campus for the better. Why notstart by making small improvements to your immediate surroundings? Your firststep will empower the voiceless and the underrepresented and spark a chain
reaction of positive changes across our campuses.

Stand together as one against #Headwinds
Every single person’s courage is essential to spark change. The #Headwinds
project will foster activities to enhance awareness across the university,transforming all our voices and actions into powerful tailwinds for gender equity.

It’s time for a change#WeChange
ウェブサイト#WeChange
Website日本 語

EnglishPlease start with the question on the cover page