MenuI. Building Social Systems that Promote Gender Equality
1. Increasing Participation by Women in Policy Decision-Making Processes
[Basic Direction of Measures]
Women's participation in decision-making is not only a demand for democracy but is also a necessary condition for women's interests to be taken into account and thus reflected in policies. For this reason, an international target of 30 percent representation of women at the decision-making level by the year 1995 was set in the Recommendations arising from the first review and appraisal of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women. In Japan, however, participation by women in policy decision-making processes is at an internationally low level in both public and private sectors.
Nevertheless, Japan has achieved some success in promoting participation by women in national advisory councils and committees by setting goals and timetables for participation. Based upon this experience, the Government must first set a leadership example by promoting participation by women in policy decision-making, then request and support similar efforts among local government authorities and enterprises and organizations within the private sector.
To promote more practically effective action in this regard, efforts will be made to collect, organize and provide information on female human resources, and to encourage organizations to take "positive actions" pertinent to their own sectors by referring to examples in other countries where participation by women has progressed to a significant extent. Also, the further incorporation of positive actions in Japan will be comprehensively studied.
(1) Increasing participation by women in national policy decision-making processes
It is important to increase participation by women in policy decision-making processes in all areas of both the public and private sectors, but there is a need to make especially positive efforts at the Government administrative level, because half of the population influenced by policies are women. For this reason, the Government must take the lead in promoting greater participation by women, especially in advisory councils and committees, and national ministries and agencies.
With the decision made by the Headquarters for the Promotion of Gender Equality on 21 May 1996, efforts have been undertaken to reach the international target of 30 percent female representation at the leadership level within a period of about 10 years as outlined in the Recommendations arising from the first review and appraisal of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, with a shorter-term goal to reach the 20 percent level as soon as possible before the end of FY2000. In regard to female civil servants, the Government will carry out well-planned efforts to recruit, appoint and expand their work areas as well as develop their faculties through active utilization of training opportunities based on the principal of equal treatment and the merit system and bearing in mind the recommendations of the National Personnel Authority of 1 August 1996 which states that, "In the pursuit of a gender-equal society, there is a need to promote well-planned human resources training in order to further utilize women."
[Concrete Measures]
(a) Promoting participation by women in national advisory councils and committees
-Achieve the goal early on by periodically ascertaining the conditions on participation by women
Make well-planned efforts to promote early achievement of the goal set by the Headquarters for the Promotion of Gender Equality, including regular inquiry, analysis and publication of the numbers and ratios of women in each of the advisory councils and committees.
Continue to aim at eliminating advisory councils and committees which have no women members.
-Promote participation by women members through group recommendation or job title appointment
Make requests to organizations that make council member recommendations (especially to those making many recommendations) to ensure that the ratio of women they recommend is in line with national goals, because few women become members through group recommendations, which pushes down the overall ratio of women.
Review the situation in regard to job title appointments, where laws and ordinances allow for a certain level of discretion, but in practice, individuals holding special jobs or directors of organizations are often appointed as a matter of custom and, to the extent possible, study flexible responses.
-Pursue efforts to promote participation by women through other means
Take concrete measures to promote women's participation as national advisory council and committee members appointed by law, or as various kinds of monitors commissioned by the Government.
(b) Promoting recruitment and appointment of women national civil servants
Further promote the recruitment, appointment and expansion of work areas for women civil servants and development of their faculties. In doing this, it is effective to periodically ascertain and analyze the current situation, and to carry out well-planned schemes to address the situation. From this perspective, study to periodically conduct research on the conditions related to recruitment and appointment, release findings and formulate plans to address necessary issues requiring improvements.
Responsible authorities: All ministries and agencies
(2) Request for the support and cooperation of local government
[Basic Direction of Measures]
The policy decisions made by local governments exert a major impact on the lives of each and every resident. Therefore, it is important to increase the extent of participation by women in policy decision-making processes at this level just as at the national level. Most prefectures and designated cities already take measures for the appointment of women as advisory council or committee members or civil servants, so requests should be made for support and cooperation toward further progress.
In addition, it is important that prefectures and ordinance-designated cities are requested to advise municipalities on the extension of such practices at that level as well.
[Concrete Measures]
(a) Support of efforts related to participation by women in advisory councils and committees
- Support for the appointment of women to advisory councils and committees in prefectures and designated cities
Research, compile and provide information on: targets for participation by women members on advisory councils and committees established within prefectures, ordinance-designated cities and core cities; various efforts toward the achievement of those targets; and, updates on the ratios of women in such advisory councils and committees. Provide information on female human resources.
- Extend measures to municipalities
Promote the same measures at the municipal level by asking prefectures and ordinance-designated cities to cooperate in providing support and advice to municipalities. Promote the shared use of information on female human resources among prefectures, ordinance-designated cities and municipalities by requesting cooperation.
Encourage cities with declarations on gender equality to make especially positive efforts to initiate such measures.
(b) Request cooperation related to the recruitment and appointment of women civil servants in local governments
- Request cooperation related to the recruitment and appointment of women civil servants in local governments
Request cooperation in the recruitment and appointment of women civil servants in local governments, and in the expansion of their work areas and development of their faculties.
Make efforts to promote the recruitment and appointment of women police officers, and to expand their work areas and develop their faculties.
Responsible authorities: All ministries and agencies
(3) Support for efforts by private companies, educational/research institutes and other types of organizations
[Basic Direction of Measures]
Extensive requests for cooperation should be made to ensure greater participation by women in policy decision-making in the political, economic, social, cultural and all other areas of society. Efforts should also be made to promote understanding of the fact that the whole system would experience both tangible and intangible benefits through new ideas and values brought by the participation of people of diverse backgrounds in the policy decision-making process.
Voluntary "positive actions" are also encouraged.
[Concrete Measures]
- Build support within society
Utilize every available opportunity to request the cooperation of private companies, labor unions, management organizations, educational/research institutes, parent-teacher associations, political parties, cooperatives and other organizations concerning the appointment of women and build support within society. Promote the adoption of effective measures to the greatest extent possible by requesting cooperation, such as providing information on positive actions.
-Pursue efforts to eliminate the glass ceiling
Enlist the efforts of other industrialized countries to eliminate the glass ceiling. Promote exchanges between concerned persons in Japan and abroad. Undertake measures to promote understanding on the appointment of women in companies in order to encourage the appointment of female management in companies, as well as to promote the participation by women in policy decision-making within labor-management organizations.
- Request the cooperation of universities, etc.
Request universities and other institutions of higher learning to cooperate in promoting participation by women through the hiring of women teachers, etc.
Responsible authorities: All ministries and agencies
(4) Conducting inquiries and collecting/providing information/data
[Basic Direction of Measures]
In addition to conducting regular inquiries and analyses on conditions and problems in various fields related to participation by women in policy decision-making, there is a need to give comprehensive consideration to "positive actions" which are expected to be further incorporated into Japan. Efforts should also be made to collect, organize and provide information on female human resources.
[Concrete Measures]
(a) Conducting inquiries/research on participation in policy decision-making
- Study positive actions
Give full consideration, in regard to the possibility of introducing new positive actions in Japan, to possible sectors, methods, costs, and mechanisms to ensure their effectiveness, with attention to consistency within the legal scope of equality, etc., as stipulated in laws based on the Constitution, and with consideration to the actual state of positive actions adopted in various forms by other countries.
Conduct studies and research on the influence of participation by women on policy decision-making and on the fostering of an environment that makes it easy for women to participate in policy decision-making.
- Implement periodic studies on the state of participation by women in policy decision-making
Conduct periodic studies and provide information on the state of participation by women in policy decision-making in various sectors.
(b) Collection, organization and provision of information on female human resources
- Build a database on female human resources and study networking
Collect and compile extensive information on female human resources into a database to make that information readily accessible at any time. Actively support similar measures at the local government level and study the formation of a network that makes such information mutually accessible.
- Train women leaders
Provide support to initiatives by local governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for the training of women leaders.
Responsible authorities: All ministries and agencies
* Positive action: Provisional measures aimed at achieving real equality of opportunity by providing special opportunities within a certain scope to those groups (women and ethnic minorities) who are currently at a disadvantage as a result of past social/structural discrimination
* Glass ceiling: Invisible barriers that prevent women from fully demonstrating their talents, and which inhibit the promotion of women to upper management in companies and the appointment of women to decision-making positions within labor-management organizations