The Headquarters for the Promotion of Gender Equality (with the Prime Minister acting as President), finalized in December 1996 the Plan for Gender Equality 2000: National Plan of Action for Promotion of a Gender Equal Society by the Year 2000 (hereinafter referred to as the Plan for Gender Equality 2000).

The Plan for Gender Equality 2000 was created on the basis of two documents: the platform for action adopted by the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995; and Vision of Gender Equality: Creating New Values for the 21st Century, a report submitted to the Prime Minister in July 1996 by the Council of Gender Equality (established in line with the Council of Gender Equality Ordinance [Government Ordinance 190, 24 June 1994] and terminated on 31 March 1997; chaired by Yoko Nuita). This is the fifth such National Plan of Action. The Plan for Gender Equality 2000 gives maximum priority to the goal of women's participation in policy decision-making processes, and stresses the review of social systems and practices in all areas from the perspective of gender equality toward building social systems which promote gender equality. New challenges such as eliminating all violence against women, respecting the human rights of women in the media and supporting life-long health for women are also highlighted as major objectives.

The 1998 Report is the second report on the Plan for Gender Equality 2000 and the 11th report on gender-related national action plans to date.

The first part of the Report, Present Status, reviews the current status of gender equality in Japan as the background on which the objectives in the Plan for Gender Equality 2000 are based, including, where possible, the situations in the respective prefectures. As the process of creating a gender-equal society must take into consideration the different circumstances of the various prefectures, grasping the situation in each prefecture was felt to be a meaningful exercise.

The second part of the Report, Promotion of Measures, compiles measures focusing on the situation between December 1996 and March 1998, using Plan for Gender Equality 2000 objectives as a framework.

It is hoped that by clarifying the current state of gender equality in Japan and progress with measures in this regard, the Report will provide a useful follow-up in ascertaining progress made on the Plan for Gender Equality 2000.