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Hiroshima UniversityResearch Center for Diversity and Inclusion

Gender

Research


Survey on Gender and Sexuality in Hiroshima Prefecture

In February 2022, ReCDI conducted a survey on awareness, attitudes, education, and policies related to gender and sexuality among 3,000 people (aged 20-79) in Hiroshima Prefecture. On Saturday, July 30, 2022, we hosted a meeting to share findings from the survey at Esor Hiroshima (flyer). This report, writtten in Japanese, summarizes the contents of the meeting (click to open PDF file).

*Please refrain from using or publishing the data and figures in this report without permission.

Research on the Status of Women

ReCDI conducts research on the gender structures and relationships in companies, local governments, and other organizations. Teaming up with these organizations, we develop and implement measures for improvement, and verifies the effectiveness of these measures. We are looking for partners who will work with us to promote our research.

Research Procedure
  1. Discuss for situation analysis with personnel officers in the organizations
  2. Research among organization personnel (statistical surveys, interviews, questionnaires, etc.)
  3. Identify factors that hinder diversity and provisionally implement improvement measures in organizations
  4. Measure the results, make further proposals for improvements and verify the effects as part of a cyclical approach

Past Research

The following researches were conducted as part of CAPWR.

Follow-up survey on working conditions of men and women at manufacturing company A in western Japan (2022-2023)
  • For the interview survey, 12 respondents were selected from those surveyed in the previous study.
  • The questionnaires were administered separately to general and managerial employees among all regular employees working at desks.
Two surveys at companies in Chugoku and Shikoku with woman engineers regarding men's and women's working conditions (2021-2022)
  • The first survey was conducted of human resource managers at 13 companies regarding their diversity policies; 11 companies responded.
  • The second survey was conducted of employees at 6 of these companies; 400 employees responded.
Survey at manufacturing company B in western Japan on working conditions of men and women (2019)
  • Interviews were conducted with 22 respondents, including general and managerial staff
  • Questionnaires were administered separately to general and managerial employees. The target population consisted of (1) 380 female general employees (selected to reflect the ratio of the number of female employees in the research/development and administrative departments), (2) 350 male general employees in the same department as the female respondents, and (3) 400 managers who conducted career meetings with the above general employees. The survey was distributed to a total of 1130 respondents and 826 responded (collection rate: 73.1%; valid response rate: 61.3%)
Gender Working Environment in a Manufacturing Company in Western Japan (2019).
  • Interviews were conducted with 25 respondents, including general employees, chiefs and managers.
  • Questionnaires were administered separately to general and management staff. 534 were distributed and responses were received from 366 employees (68.54% response rate, 64.98% valid response rate).
  • Recommendations were made on organizational culture, mindset of managers, assignment of duties, and working hours.
Gender Working Environment in a Distribution Company in Western Japan (2018).
  • Interviews were conducted with 25 respondents, including managers, buyers, chiefs, regional employees, and non-regulars.
  • Questionnaires were administered separately to general employees, chiefs, assistant managers, and store managers. 4463 were distributed and responses were received from 2842 employees (63.68% response rate, 53.60% valid response rate).
  • Recommendations were made on communication during career interviews, effective evaluations to motivate promotion, diversification of career paths for female employees, and working manners of managers.

Supporting Women Researchers

ReCDI plays a part in the CAPWR project (see the box below) and uses its national and international network to promote gender equality in the region.
ReCDI members work as coordinators and lecturers at symposiums and seminars for CAPWR, and as part of our Diversity Model Development Initiative (see the box below), we conduct researches in cooperation with local companies and other organizations.

What is CAPWR?

CAPWR (Career Advancement Project for Women Researchers) is a human resource development program from AY2017 to AY2022 conducted by HU in collaboration with local companies, an international think tank, neighboring universities, and local governments, with the aim of supporting female researchers and developing female leaders.
It is implemented under Diversity Research Environment Initiative subsidized by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).
ReCDI is mainly in charge of CAPWR Initiative 4, "Diversity Model Development Initiative.” We aim to generate a model for diversity promotion efforts according to the type of organizations in terms of their industry, size, level of diversification, and level of support for balancing work and female workers.


Workshop on Careers for Women in Science

Career Support Workshop for Women in Science @ Micron
Friday, January 13, 2023, 13:30-16:30 @ Micron Memory Japan, Hiroshima Plant
Organized by: Micron Memory Japan K.K., HU, and ReCDI
Supported by: Global Career Design Center, HU

Click here for the flyer

Seminar on Diversity Promotion in HU

“Seminar on Improving Workplace Environments for Diversity and Inclusion”

Posted online from March 24, 2021 to March 31, 2021
Organized by Office for Research Support and Social Collaboration, Hiroshima International University
Opening Remark by Shuji Fuefuki (Vice President, Hiroshima International University)
Seminar (1) Machiko Oike (ReCDI Director) "What is Diversity and Inclusion?"
Seminar (2) Yoko Nishina (Vice Presidet, HU) "Initiatives to Promote Diversity and Women's Activities at HU"
Closing Remark by Kazumi Sugihara (Hiroshima International University)


Seminar on Gender and STEM Fields

Seminar on Women in Science and Technology "Tips and Mistakes in Training Women in Natural Sciences”

On March 1, 2019 @ Hotel Granvia Hiroshima
Organized by HU
Yumi Inada (Japan Physical Education University)
"Natural Science Education and Gender: Status and Issues in Elementary and Secondary Education”
Yasuko Morinaga (HU),
"'Unconscious Bias' and Gender: How ‘Positive’ Gender Assumptions Reduce Women's Motivation”


Symposium Presentation on Industry-University Collaboration

HU SDGs Symposium "Innovation, Collaboration, and Transformation for Peace and Sustainability”

Feb. 11, 2019 @ Kasumi Campus, HU
Organized by FE/SDGs Network Center, HU
Kiriko Sakata (HU) and Mitsuru Kushida (Izumi Co., Ltd.) on HU and Izumi's Collaboration in term of Gender Research


Coordinating Symposium on Women and Management

Symposium on Promoting Diversity Environment "Toward a Gender Equal Society”

July 30, 2018 @ Higashi Senda Campus, HU
Organized by HU
Kiriko Sakata (HU) served as the moderator of the panel discussion.

Seminars and Events

Co-hosting a Seminar on Men's Studies

Gender Equality Awareness Seminar "Gender Issues in Academic Fields in Contemporary Japan: From the Perspective of Men's and Masculinities Studies
August 28, 2018, 15:00-16:31 @ Higashi-Hiroshima Campus, HU
Lecturer: Prof. Kimio Ito, Director, Diversity Promotion Office, Kyoto Sangyo University
Organized by the Office for the Promotion of Gender Equality and co-organized by ReCDI

Click here for the flyer.