A symposium titled “How Long Will It Last? Unconscious Bias Against ‘Women in STEM’” was held in conjunction with International Women’s Day.

With Waffle CEO Tanaka, Otsuma Junior and Senior High School Principal Narushima, and Lenovo Japan LLC CEO David and Executive Officer Tsukamoto. I served as the moderator.

Looking at the results of PISA and TIMSS, there is no significant gender gap in science and math subjects at the elementary, junior high, and high school levels. In fact, Japanese girls rank among the top performers globally, placing 7th in math and 6th in science out of 77 countries. However, the proportion of women in science and math fields at the university level remains the lowest among OECD member countries.In particular, there are few women in the fields of computer science and engineering, as opposed to traditional “lab coat” disciplines.

I also graduated from the mechanical engineering department in the College of Engineering, and I remember there were only two women in my class.

As digital transformation (DX) advances across all sectors, the negative consequences of services and products being designed with a male-centric focus—such as AI-driven gender bias and safety standards that fail to account for women’s needs—are likely to become increasingly widespread.

So why do differences emerge in career choices even though there is no difference in ability? It’s largely due to social influences.

Parents' preferences, the proportion of male teachers in STEM subjects, the portrayal of STEM experts in the media, and the impression men expect women to project.

Under its "Otsuma Vision 50" initiative, Otsuma Junior and Senior High School reportedly increased the percentage of students choosing science-related courses to 50% over the course of about five years.

Specifically, we focused on illustrating the future—including changes in the job market—and conveying the excitement of technology to foster a sense of “I can do this.” We also had the students listen to stories from role models who are making a difference in society, inspiring them to look up to these individuals.

Ms. Narushima says, “Don’t underestimate yourself.” Ms. Tanaka says, “Let’s be women who don’t know their place.” It’s all about “mindset,” isn’t it?

Mr. David from Lenovo pointed out that in the United States, the practice of providing one device per student for educational use has been in place for many years, and that equal access to these devices has likely played a role in encouraging more women to pursue careers in science and technology. The influence of early childhood experiences is also significant.

The important thing is that not only women but also men need to change. We need to shift the mindset of society as a whole, including how we work.

Now might be the perfect opportunity. In this “new normal” society, the term “rikejo” will surely have become a thing of the past.

These are just some rough notes, but this is the discussion we had.