Mobility assignments: Japanese women are more proactive than men in seeking overseas roles

However, roles are few to be found, as expat assignments continue to be a male dominated field.

According to the latest survey by the Japanese Women’s Initiative in the Bay Area (JWIBA), Japanese women are more proactive than their male counterparts in seeking overseas roles.

Having surveyed 31 Japanese women and 11 Japanese men who have experienced Silicon Valley expatriation and repatriation, the results found that 74.2% of women actively pursued the assignments, compared to only 36.4% of men.

However, as shown in the data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, expatriate roles in North America remain heavily male-dominated, with 85.2% male and only 14.8% female representation. This may suggest that in the current situation, compared to men, women have fewer opportunities for overseas positions unless they take the initiative themselves, noted the survey.

The survey also explored the following realities of professional development during and after the expatriation assignments.

Acquired skills in expatriation

The results showed that both male and female expatriates reported similar levels of skill acquisition, including communication, English proficiency, and mental resilience.

The little gender difference in "enhanced skills” suggested that men and women may have equal opportunities for skill enhancement during expatriation.

Though both women and men tended to make good use of their skills after repatriation, men reported a slightly higher utilisation of those skills, especially in networking, cross-cultural communication, and presentation skills.

Motivation for career development

The survey indicated that Japanese women who have experienced expatriate assignments reported high levels of satisfaction and strong motivation for their subsequent careers.

Overall, among those who have returned from Silicon Valley expatriation, 80% were motivated about career development, and 40.5% were actively seeking new career opportunities where they can leverage their experience.

Awareness of DEI

Expatriation has led over 90% of respondents to experience changes in their values regarding DEI. Notably, 72.7% of men experienced “significant” change.

Comments from the survey suggested that men recognised the importance of diversity, while women gained courage from seeing other women succeed.

The necessary changes to increase female participation in expatriate assignments

While over 60% of male respondents identified 'corporate/organisational systems and culture' as the primary factor, female respondents ranked 'women's mindset' as the top issue.

The survey elaborated that female respondents felt that they need to change their mindset to achieve their career goals and create their own opportunities for growth. However, this belief itself might be influenced by societal and environmental factors. Such perceptions could be unnecessarily limiting women's potential and career options.