Gender discrimination remains rife when Shanghai female university graduates seek employment, according to a survey published Sunday by the Shanghai Women's Federation.

Only 8.7 percent of female job applicants for civil servant posts have been employed, lower than 11.7 percent of male graduates.

The survey, which questioned 1,000 graduates from 10 local universities, found that 21.7 percent of female graduates wished to work in government agencies.

A female law postgraduate from Shanghai University, who wished to remain anonymous, was even refused at her last interview with a local court on the grounds of gender and age.

"Gender discrimination does exist, but in some places like schools or hospitals, choosing more males is just for balancing the proportion of men and women," said Lu Jianmin, director of the federation's Women Study Center.

But 55.8 percent of female graduates surveyed said they were discriminated against while seeking jobs.

A company said in its recruitment advertisement that applicants must be able to play football, which would rule out female graduates, the survey said.

Representatives of female graduates from 10 local universities said at a panel discussion held by the federation that discrimination is also reflected in salaries, with male graduates having an average income of 2,706 yuan (US$330) and women receiving 2,441 yuan (US$300).

Most female graduates said during the discussion that being a graduate from a prestigious university, personal communication skills and academic qualifications were also important when seeking employment.

Female graduates from Fudan University, one of the city's top academic institutions, for example, are expected to earn an average monthly salary of 3,660 yuan (US$443), much higher than those from other universities.

But Lu said "it is often the case that women are discriminated against in one place, but not in another place."

According to the survey, university students are still considering Shanghai as the first place to start their career after graduation.

More than 98 percent of graduates originally from Shanghai and 68.2 percent of Shanghai university graduates who are from other provinces have listed the city as their most preferred place to work, said Wan Renjiao, a professor from Shanghai Power College, who helped conduct the survey.

"This is because they consider the city as a place that is promising, full of opportunities and provides a rather high income," Wan said.

Some graduates will go to cities in coastal Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Guangdong provinces to work after they fail to seek jobs in Shanghai.

"The Yangtze River Delta, for example, is developing at a speed that no other places in the country can compare, which provides a bright future for their career development," Wan said.

According to the survey, the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta regions have received 92 percent of graduates from Shanghai universities. Few graduates are willing to work in central and western China.

(China Daily August 9, 2004)