Woman in Japan Today JANUARY 1999

Conferences and Programs Run by the Headquarters for the Promotion of Gender Equality, the Prime Minister's Office, etc.

In order to raise public awareness throughout Japan regarding the need to create a gender-equal society, and to generate a social climate conducive to the achievement of this goal, the Headquarters for the Promotion of Gender Equality and the Prime Minister's Office worked together with local governments to hold the following wide variety of conferences and programs in 1998.

National Conference on the Creation of a Gender-Equal Society
Held for the general public and officials in charge of women's issues at the prefectural level and in ordinance-designated cities, to increase public understanding and cooperation toward the creation of a gender-equal society.

Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi speaking at a gathering after the National Conference on the Creation of a Gender-Equary Society

Regional Fora on the Promotion of Gender Equality
Held for the general public and officials in charge of women-related administration, to increase momentum toward the further promotion of regional activities toward the creation of a gender-equal society.

National Conference of Young Leaders on Gender Equality
In additional to the usual National Conference of Gender Equality Leaders, a new program was initiated as of this year whereby young men and women expected to become leaders in the local community in the near future are brought together to consider gender equality. Intended to generate momentum and foster awareness among the younger generation toward the creation of a gender-equal society, promoting efforts toward the creation of a gender-equal society in local communities, the 1998 National Conference was held over 20-21 August as a two-day event. The conference attracted wide participation, including not only members of the Conference on Gender Equality, the Council on Women's Affairs, from the various prefectures and ordinance-designated cities, but also group leaders between the ages of 20 to 40 who are engaged in various activities in the local community.

National Conference of Young Leaders on Gender Equality

Program to Encourage Declarations by Municipal Authorities on Gender Equality
Encourages local authorities to announce their cities as Gender Equality Declaration Cities engaged in creation of a gender-equal society and to jointly host a variety of programs, thus promoting gender equality at the local level, which is closest to the grassroots. Summit Meetings of Municipalities with Declarations on Gender Equality are held in order for local mayors from Gender Equality Declaration Cities to exchange information.

Chief Cabinet Secretary's Awards for Outstanding Contributions to Gender Equality
These awards are given to individuals who have made outstanding contributions over many years to the effort to create a gender-equal society. The aim is to increase the level of concern among Japanese people for the need to create a gender-equal society, thereby contributing to the achievement of this goal.

Forum on Violence Against Women
The Prime Minister's Office held the Forum on Violence Against Women on 30 October 1998 in Tokyo. Around 500 participants concerned with this issue gathered from around the country for the event, engaging in intense discussion.
In the first half of the program, Chief Cabinet Secretary and Minister for Gender Equality Hiromu Nonaka addressed participants. This was followed by a report by Ms. Junko Torii, Chair of the Committee on Violence Against Women, which is under the auspices of the Council for Gender Equality, on progress with the committee's deliberations. Dr. Elizabeth M. Whynot, then gave a lecture on efforts being made in Vancouver, Canada to assist women who are victims of violence.

Forum on Violence Against Woman

The second half of the program consisted of a symposium coordinated by Ms. Yoko Hayashi, a lawyer, on the current situation in terms of violence against women and tasks in this regard. Panelists for this symposium were: Mr. Masao Okumura, a professor at Seiwa University; Ms. Kazuyo Goto, Police Inspector, Osaka Police Headquarters; Ms. Keiko Kondo, representative of Women's Space ON; Mr. Satoru Saito, Director, Institute for Family Functioning; and Ms. Rieko Harada, a counselor for women at the Tokyo Metropolitan Women's Counseling Center. After presentations by the various experts on the actual situation in terms of violence against women and efforts being made to assist such women, the floor was opened for an exchange of views with the audience. At the Forum, Ms. Torii also called for the provision of information on the actual state of violence against women and the current situation in terms of efforts to combat this, noting that the damage caused to women through violence was all too easily submerged, disguising the reality of the situation.