When I returned to China in 1962 I was impressed by the equality of men and women in society. Even during the 'Cultural Revolution there was no prejudice against women, although political discrimination was routine. The reforms of the 1980s opened a new era for science, yet contrary to expectation female scientists have not fared so well. In physics the situation is particularly discouraging. Formerly, 25% of the research staff at our institute were female, but that has dropped to 14%, while the percentage of women full professors has fallen from 17% to 7%. In the physics department of Tsinghua University in Beijing, the percentage of retired female full professors is 19% whereas that of those currently employed is 8%.
展开▼
