More women and girls are excelling in the traditionally male-dominated disciplines of science and technology.
After graduating from university with a master’s degree in photonics in 1989, Lan Yu-ping (藍玉屏) landed her first job at state-backed Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) in northern Taiwan’s Hsinchu City. She has steadily climbed the ranks within the organization and currently serves as the deputy general director of the Center for Measurement Standards, which runs the National Measurement Laboratory (NML). “The strong sense of mission and accomplishment I get from working at ITRI is what motivated me to make a career there,” Lan said. “The NML is the only facility of its kind in Taiwan, providing calibration services for a wide variety of measuring instruments to public and private entities across the country.”
Since commencing operations in 1987, the lab has established more than 100 measurement standards in 15 areas ranging from acoustics and electricity to luminous intensity and vibration, ensuring all benchmarks are in line with the International System of Units. According to Lan, the lab helps domestic companies, especially those in the high-tech sector working with semiconductors, smart machinery and solar photovoltaic systems, guarantee the safety and reliability of their products.
Lan specializes in photonics at state-backed ITRI in the northern city of Hsinchu, which strives to level the playing field for women. (Photo by Chen Mei-ling)
As Taiwan is a full member of the Asia Pacific Metrology Programme and an associate member of France-based General Conference on Weights and Measures, Lan has the honor of representing the country at international meetings and technical committees. “International participation is key to facilitating scientific collaboration and exchanges,” she said. “And, on a personal level, I find it incredibly satisfying to see our technological capabilities receive recognition from the global community.”
The deputy general director said she is grateful for having had the opportunity to build her career at an organization that strives to level the playing field for women, adding that promotions are based solely on performance and employees receive equal pay for equal work. To alleviate challenges faced by working parents, ITRI also runs a daycare facility for employees’ children. “It’s hard to balance work, study and family life,” said Lan, who obtained her doctorate and became a mother of two after joining the institute. “Support from my family and workplace made it possible.”
As a major driving force behind Taiwan’s industrial transformation, ITRI has seen the proportion of female employees rise from 32.1 to 35.8 percent between 2016 and 2021, while management positions held by women increased from 6 to 7.1 percent over the same period. “The participation of women and girls in science and technology brings in fresh perspectives, ensures diversity in research and expands the talent pool,” Lan said. “Our inclusion has the potential to propel scientific discovery and technological innovation forward faster.”
Removing Barriers
Another role model for young women in science and technology is Anya Lin(林滿玉), dean of the College of Pharmaceutical Sciences at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University’s (NYCU) Taipei City campus. After earning her master’s and doctoral degrees in pharmacology from National Taiwan University (NTU) in Taipei and the University of Colorado in the U.S., respectively, she spent time as a postdoctoral fellow at Taipei-based Academia Sinica and a researcher at Taipei Veterans General Hospital. Echoing Lan’s views, Lin believes the inclusion of women in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) pipeline forges stronger innovation ecosystems. Advancing gender parity in these areas is vital for achieving sustainable development goals, she said.
According to Lin, although some progress has been made over the years, women remain underrepresented in these disciplines, while gender bias, the gender pay gap and access to leadership positions are still areas of concern. “Ensuring gender equity in STEM-focused education and research in today’s knowledge-based economy is more important than ever,” she said. “We must continue cultivating a more inclusive workforce to enhance diversity of thought and thus increase efficiency and productivity.”
Lin believes the inclusion of women in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics pipeline forges stronger innovation ecosystems. (Photo by Chen Mei-ling)
Lin works to boost inclusion as chair of the Society of Taiwan Women in Science and Technology (TWiST) in Taipei. The nonprofit is a member of Canada-headquartered International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists, which aims to build a better future through participation of girls and women in all aspects of STEM. Established in 2011, TWiST strives to encourage and empower more women to enter these fields by offering grants, seminars and mentorship programs. The organization has also joined the U.N.’s HeForShe campaign launched in 2014 to increase the involvement of men and boys in the fight for gender equality.
Lin knows from personal experience how much of a difference it makes when men actively contest gender stereotypes. She and Yang Chih-hsin (楊志新), superintendent of NTU Cancer Center, have three children together. When their first son was only seven months old, Lin went to the U.S. for her doctorate, a move she could not have made without her husband’s willingness to assume full childrearing responsibilities while she was away. Many women lack such support, however, with some forced to quit their careers because of work-family conflicts. This struggle underscores the urgent need for initiatives like HeForShe, Lin said.
Early Start
According to Lin, though men still substantially outnumber women majoring in STEM fields at the tertiary level, the situation is starting to improve. A report released by Taipei-based CommonWealth Magazine last year revealed that among 13 prestigious girls’ high schools across Taiwan, over half recorded an increase in STEM enrollment. Among students driving the trend is Oakley Chang (張微咏), who studies at Kaohsiung Girls’ Senior High School in the southern metropolis. Her specific interest lies in computer science and information engineering, which she aspires to use to help bridge the digital divide.
“I want to pursue a degree in computer science because I’m interested in algorithms, information security, programming languages and software development,” the 17-year-old said. “The specialization will give me the opportunity to explore both of my passions: problem solving and innovative application design.” As a highly driven young woman, Chang has supplemented her learning with computer classes outside of school. “My goal is to become a software engineer so I can contribute to Taiwan’s technological development,” she said. “Plus, I want to help underprivileged people adopt new technologies and improve their quality of life.” The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the essential role of digital technologies in education, she added.
Chang aspires to use her skills in computer science and information engineering to help bridge the digital divide. (Photo by Chen Mei-ling)
Chang’s dedication has not gone unnoticed. Last year, she was one of three Taiwan students selected to participate in TechGirls, an initiative run by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The summer exchange program seeks to enable young women from around the world to pursue careers in science and technology. TechGirls entails a seven-month mentorship period and 25-day experience in the U.S. in partnership with Virginia Tech. During their trip, participants engage in an interactive technology and computer camp followed by community and career exploration activities in one of six possible cities while staying with American families. “Taking part in TechGirls was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Chang said. “Apart from enhancing our technical knowledge, we learned about different cultures and perspectives since my classmates came from more than 30 countries.”
While the growing number of girls like Chang and the overall increase in women’s labor force participation are encouraging, there is still a lot that can be done to close the STEM gap, and advocacy groups like TWiST are spearheading projects to do so. “We’re committed to promoting women’s presence and status in science and technology through capacity building and gender awareness,” Lin said. “Equal female participation in STEM will double the talent pool, ingenuity and strength of these fields, stimulating a new era of inclusive and sustainable socioeconomic growth.”
Write to Kelly Her at kher@mofa.gov.tw