11. Women and the environment

(1) Supporting the participation of women in environmental protection activities

The Plan for Gender Equality 2000 states that "in view of the fact that the resolution of environmental problems is greatly enhanced by the participation of women, it is necessary to support and promote environmental protection initiatives by establishing partnerships that encompass a broad spectrum of society.
To this end, information regarding environmental problems will be disseminated, venues will be provided where groups can interact and exchange information, education on the environment will be promoted in regions, and NGO activities will be supported.
" There has been particular interest among the general public in measures against dioxin and genetically modified food, and many NGO have been actively studying these issues.

In December l997, the 3rd session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climatic Change (COP3) was held in Japan, which triggered widespread interest among the Japanese public about environmental issues.