Introduction

In Taiwan, there has been a significant diminution in gender inequality in entrance into higher education, as is shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 indicates that only about 11 per cent of the students enrolled in higher education in 1950 were female, while by 1998 the percentage had increased to approximately half (50.36%). This shows a remarkable increase in the number of women entering higher education, largely as a result of the rapid expansion in higher education over the past decades.

Figure 1. The Percentage of Females in Higher Education by School Year 1950-99.
(Source: Ministry of Education, 2000a, Education Statistical Indicators, p. 33.)

In fact, the increase in female access to higher education in Taiwan has been in line with that of the worldwide increase. The UNESCO World Education Report for 1998 revealed a general trend in female intake into higher education, and showed that in terms of the gross enrolment ratio (females to males), female students have significantly increased in number in OECD countries. For example, in Australia in 1985, the gross enrolment ratio of female in tertiary education was about 27.0 per cent. The figure increased to 73.5 per cent in 1995. Over the same period some OECD countries have experienced similar increases in this regard, as indicated in Table 1.

Table 1
Gross Enrolment Ratios of Female in Tertiary Education
in Some OECD Countries

	1985 (%)	1995 (%)
Australia	27.0	73.5
Canada	77.7	110.2
France	30.3	55.4
Germany	...	38.5
Japan	19.8	36.3
Netherlands	26.6	46.0
Spain	28.6	49.8
United Kingdom	20.1	50.8
United States of America	64.3	91.7

(Source: UNESCO, 1998, World Education Report, 1998, pp.148-151.)

However, there is a growing concern with the issues relating to female participation in higher education in Taiwan recently due to the democratization of society in Taiwan. The main purpose of this paper is therefore to examine gender barriers in higher education in Taiwan, and the following sections will pay attention to three aspects of female access to higher education: (1) the representation of females as students among different types of institution of higher education i.e. university, college and junior college; (2) the distribution of females as students in advanced study i.e. for a master's degree and a doctor's degree; (3) female choice of subjects of study. Finally, some observations are concluded from the previous examination.

Female Access to University vs. Non-university Institutions of Higher Education

The fact that more females are entering non-university institutions rather than university institutions can be seen in Figure 2, where the distinct tendency in female participation in different institutions of higher education from 1970-1999 is reflected in the two approximately parallel curves indicating the number of females in university and college sectors and junior college sector respectively.

Figure 2. The Percentage of Females in Universities and Colleges,
as well as Junior College by School Year from 1970-99.
(Source: Ministry of Education, 2000a, Education Statistical Indicators, p. 33.)

Although there will be a variety of reasons why the percentage of females attending junior colleges is higher than that of females in institutions of higher education and while each stands in need of further investigation, what is relevant to this paper is that this difference has obvious implications for any examination of the issue of access for women. This is because the fact that there is a hierarchy of prestige among Taiwan's higher education institutions. Compared with universities and colleges, junior colleges in Taiwan are seen as being inferior in terms of prestige. This in turn reflects upon the perceived status of the qualifications awarded. If women continue to be underrepresented at university level, the gender gap, therefore, can still be seen to exist in terms of institutional difference.

Family attitude may have exerted a negative influence on females' entrance to higher education. Moore (1987) claimed that families in Western Europe and North America have tended to favour the attendance of male children but not female children in higher education, especially when a financial burden is involved. This varies considerably, based on class and ethnic origin as well. However it is quite common for female students to choose not to pursue higher education, or only a limited course within it, as a result of family attitudes.

Female Access to Advanced Study for a Master's Degree or a Doctor's Degree

Female Choice of Subjects to Study

These facts suggest that women, due to their differing preference in subjects of study, have still suffered some disadvantages in terms of entrance into higher education in Taiwan in the past. A solution may be found if attention is focused on two main areas (Thomas, 1988): First, the socialisation processes that currently affect gender roles in education. For instance, an attempt should be made to change the traditional values that dominate gender, role and opportunity, whereby men are regarded as more appropriate for scientific work and women are seen as fitted for social work. Second, a greater range of subjects should be offered to girls at secondary education level. Another possible solution would be to increase the places available for study in the social sciences and humanities.

Concluding Remarks

Ministry of Education (1999). Statistics on Higher Education Graduates in the R.O.C., School Year, 1992-1997. Taipei: Ministry of Education.

Ministry of Education (2000a).Education Statistical Indicators . Taipei: Ministry of Education.

Ministry of Education (2000b). Education Statistics of the Republic of China. Taipei: Ministry of Education.

Moore, K. M. (1987). Women's access and opportunity in higher education: toward the twenty-first century, Comparative Education, 23(1), 23-34.

Thomas, K. (1988). Gender and the Arts/Science Divide in Higher Education, Studies in Higher Education, 13(2), 123-137.

UNESCO (1998).World Education Report 1998. Paris: UNESCO.

About the Author

Tel: 886-5-2720871       Fax: 886-5-2720875
E-mail: edurjw@ccunix.ccu.edu.tw

Dr. Ru-Jer Wang received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Manchester (UK) and is currently an Associate Professor and former director of the Graduate Institute of Education, National Chung Cheng University. His main research and teaching interests are educational administration, comparative education, and higher education, knowledge management and education, and the knowledge economy and education. He is also in charge of the Center for Research into the Knowledge Economy and Education. He has published more than 30 research papers and four books: Educational Administration (1998), Comparative Education (1999), The Theory and Application of Knowledge Management: The Case of the Education Sector and Its Innovation (2000), and The Knowledge-based Economy and Education (2001).

General questions about appropriateness of topics or particular articles may be addressed to the Editor, Gene V Glass, glass@asu.edu or reach him at College of Education, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-0211. (602-965-9644). The Commentary Editor is Casey D. Cobb: casey.cobb@unh.edu .