National Women’s Education Center of Japan

In FY2008, NWEC established the Women's Archives Center, and since FY2009 it has been holding a training course on how to preserve archives. From FY2016 to FY2020, the training course was called "Archive Preservation and Restoration Training". When launching the fifth mid-term plan in FY2021, we renamed it as the "Training Course for Women's Archives". We aim to give those who collect women's archives an opportunity to learn useful knowledge and information, and to help them contribute to the formation of network on women's archives.

This year, training course took place online, with live online lectures watched by about 20 viewers on January 28. From February 2 to March 2, about 140 viewers watched the lectures on demand.

The first program presented was titled "Collecting and Studying Historical Records on Women and Gender—Looking Back on the Exhibition on Gender in Japanese History." The exhibition "Gender in Japanese History," which was held at the National Museum of Japanese History from October to December 2020, hit the headlines as their first exhibition featuring the topic of gender in full scale. The exhibition was a great success, with its catalog being reprinted. In addition, the exhibition's content was also compiled into a new book. The director of this exhibition project, Dr. Yuriko Yokoyama, gave a detailed lecture on overseas examples of gender history exhibition, which she had studied during the preparation stage, as well as the concept underlying this exhibition, how to put the plan into practice, and the tremendous response to it.

Two examples of archive practice were reported. One involved the Girl Scouts of Japan, an organization that marked its 100th anniversary in 2020, and the other involved the Rikkyo Research Center for Cooperative Civil Societies, which holds the "Nerima Mothers' Network" as a women's archive material. The Girl Scouts of Japan gave a lecture on how to launch a history book and website in commemoration of its 100th anniversary. The Rikkyo Research Center for Cooperative Civil Societies showed the historical records of the Nerima Mothers' Network, and explained how they are cataloged and how they have been used. Both lectures were well-received by the viewers owing to the detailed and useful presentations.

The lecture on "Archives and Copyright" provided clear and abundant information including basic knowledge of copyright laws and their amendments in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, and also offered useful advice on how to handle archives.

Contents of FY 2021

During the period from May 19 to June 11, 2021, NWEC held an online training course for leaders, managers, and executives from women's centers, local governments, and organizations across Japan. Roughly 500 participants took part in this online course.

This course was designed to help viewers acquire the knowledge, planning abilities, and practical skills they need to learn to be regional gender equality promotion leaders. The entire course comprised of three sections: the e-learning section covering basic knowledge on gender equality prior to doing the other programs; seven on-demand programs; and three live streamed programs.

In the on-demand programs, Ms. Tomoko Hayashi, Director-General of the Gender Equality Bureau Cabinet Office, delivered a keynote speech, an energetic lecture on the Fifth Basic Plan for Gender Equality. Then, respective people in charge from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare; the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry explained the latest measures each had taken to promote gender equality and opportunities for women. Viewers learned about the current conditions and issues regarding gender equality in and outside Japan, and how to take specific measures to promote gender equality in each region through lectures on international trends, current situation under the Covid-19 pandemic, and approaches of gender statistics.

Audience feedback was positive, with remarks such as, "I was able to gain new perspectives through information on the Fifth Basic Plan, the latest trends from each Ministry, and profound analyses on issues related to gender and Covid-19," "This training course covered everything I had really wanted to know about gender equality," and so forth.

Contents of FY 2021

During the period from June 16 to July 14, 2021, NWEC held an online training course for counselors at facilities for women, people in charge of relevant policymaking in local public bodies, and managers in charge of consultations. The aim was to improve the knowledge and skills those counselors need in order to support women in difficult situations. Roughly 930 participants from across Japan watched this course.

Second, a lecture was given on the meaning of gender equality,and with that in mind how counselors should provide support to women in need. Participants learned that women's issues were deeply intertwined with social structure, and deepened their understanding of the role of women's counselors.

Following that, the Cabinet Office explained the latest measures the government had taken, and the Sapporo Gender Equality Center presented a case report on their social media counseling. Experts in different fields gave lectures on legal knowledge, the link between domestic violence and child abuse, how to provide care related to the trauma of sexual violence, and how to provide counseling on developmental disabilities and working environments, all of which
are necessary for counselors to know. Practical workshops were held based on these lectures, in which participants studied how to provide counseling in each case, and learned how to give actual support and how to work together with relevant organizations.

Furthermore, lectures were given not only on handling individual counseling cases, but also on the roles of the organizations that support the counseling work. Participants acquired skills on how to grasp the essence of local issues and needs from actual requests for advice and reflect those needs in services and planned projects. They also learned about effective management to prevent counselors from suffering burnout or secondary traumatization.

In the final session, participants had an opportunity to exchange information about their actual work.

The offered gave positive feedback such as, "I gained a lot of information and practical knowledge," and "Through the exchange of views with lecturers who have also worked for many years as experienced counselors as well as other participants, I learned how to provide support to women by becoming aware of many other cases and other counselors' experiences. What I learned was useful for future counseling in the real world."

Contents of FY 2021

During the period from July 29 to August 31, 2021, NWEC held an online training course for managers of boards of education as well as teachers and staff of elementary and secondary education. Approximately 240people took part from all over Japan.
The purpose of this training course was to make teachers and school staff aware of their own unconscious biases and fixed notions of gender roles, and to help them identify existing problems at school and seek solutions to achieve gender equality.
To encourage participants and lecturers to enrich their knowledge through the exchange of opinions, this training course includes varied programs such as on-demand lectures, a live online workshop-style program, and a panel discussion.
First, participants watched a video, which the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology commissioned NWEC to make in FY2020, and discussed possible situations at school in which unconscious biases were likely overlooked. They paid attention to their own words and behaviors and became aware of unconscious biases in the classroom, which led them to better understand the importance of gender equality's value.

During the panel discussion, some examples of education on gender conducted at elementary schools and junior high schools in Itoshima, Fukuoka Prefecture, and at Nada Junior and Senior High School in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture were shared with the participants, and a high school girl who is a member of the Girl Scouts of Japan presented her opinion. Based on these inputs, the participants also thought about the possibilities of school education in regard to gender equality.

Contents of FY 2021

On October 8, 2021, NWEC co-hosted with the Gender Equality Bureau Cabinet Office an online training
program on learning the importance of promoting gender equality in normal times and disaster response measures that consider gender equality.

Although the need for disaster response measures sensitive to gender equality has been clearly written into Japan's Basic Disaster Management Plan and its Fifth Basic Plan for Gender Equality, as well as some international guidelines such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and Goal 11 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), necessary measures have not been taken to reform the system. For that reason, this training program was designed for sharing useful information with those in charge of regional disaster management, such as local government officials, school staff members, and disaster relief specialists, that would encourage them to work together for effective regional disaster risk reduction and lead to building a helpful platform.

In the keynote speech, Keiko Ikeda, Professor at Faculty of Education, Shizuoka University, a member of the Shizuoka University Center for Integrated Research and Education of Natural Hazards, and Co-chair of the Training Center for Gender & Disaster Risk Reduction, pointed out that in the face of disaster, people suffer different difficulties at different levels depending on gender differences and social status. She also explained it was crucial to give appropriate support according to each individual's needs, and to do so, people in many different fields needed to take part in the policy-making stage at local governments. Prof. Ikeda then clarified the role of the gender equality sector in collaborating with a diverse range of entities.

The video of this training program was archived and provided online for about one-and-a-half months and has been watched by around 1,300 viewers across Japan. Some viewers have given feedback, saying, "I realized it's important for administrators, local communities, and schools to work together, even in normal times," and "It's really instructive for when we reexamine our local disaster
prevention plan in the future."

The forum's main theme was "Achieve Gender Equality", which is the same as Goal 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In the keynote speech, which was aired from the U.S., Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, delivered a strong message that "gender equality must be achieved, especially in this time of crisis."

We saw many civic groups with fascinating program ideas apply for the event from all over Japan, and the number of applicants exceeded our limit. Eventually, we selected 45 organizations, and conducted virtual workshop-style lectures
and panel exhibitions. Among them, 17 of the groups —including groups of university students— were participating in this event for the first time. The virtual exhibit pages had a
total of more than 12,000 page views.
Both the Women's Empowerment Promotion Seminar and the NWEC Global Seminar were held on this same website during this period, enabling participants to reach a diverse range of topics that they might not normally encounter. As a result, compared to last year the number of
participants working in the corporate and academic sectors, men, and twentysomethings and thirtysomethings increased. Participants provided feedback such as, "The event was so rich in content that I could learn about
overseas examples and different companies' projects," and "I am determined to strive for a gender-equal society, without turning a blind eye to a sense of discomfort."

Contents of FY 2021

On December 10, 2021, NWEC held an online seminar under the theme of "Work Strategies in the With-COVID-19 Era— More Diverse Work Styles Enabled by Telework" to encourage thought-provoking discussion
on empowering women and diverse talent as well as organizational development.

As the symposium was archived online, many other viewers have since also watched the video. The number of viewers totaled about 430.

Viewer feedback included such comments as, "The speakers clearly explained efforts for teleworking at their companies and local governments"; "It was a rare opportunity to hear stories from various types of business. Their stories were very instructive. All organizations, private or public, have to feel their way through a trial-and-error process, so this discussion has been inspiring for every participant. I will continue to explore the possibilities, and incorporate other organizations' ideas and measures"; "I realize that it is critical to eliminate fixed biases based on gender differences in the workplace and we need flexible work styles for the ever-changing stages in a woman's life"; and "I have a clearer picture of women at work."

Contents of FY 2021

During the period from January 18 to February 10, 2022, NWEC held an online training course for staff in charge of project planning in local governments, women's centers, etc. across Japan. This course was designed to help participants identify issues in each community from a perspective of gender equality and provide the knowledge and skills required to develop a project blueprint for solving problems.

This training course comprised of two sections: on-demand lectures powered by the Learning Management
System (LMS), and four live online programs for workshops in groups. Approximately 130 viewers watched the on-demand lectures and some 30 viewers took part in each live-streamed program.

The on-demand lectures included a wide range of topics: 1) necessary perspectives for project planning,objective and significance of project blueprint, and method and tips for developing project blueprint; 2) basic knowledge on gender equality, such as the current states in Japan and overseas and statistics on gender; 3) advice for planning, implementing, and assessing projects based on the PDCA cycle, as well as examples of other projects; and 4) introduction of archives and databases available at NWEC Information Center for Women's Education and Winet that have been helpful for gathering information on actual situations in communities.

During the training course period, NWEC provided an online chat system to encourage interaction and connection building, which led to a spirited exchange of opinions.

Feedback from participants included comments such as, "The lectures were easy to grasp and provided a wide range of information, such as the suggestions on how to plan projects and continue to improve," and "I could learn comprehensive knowledge about international trends in gender equality, how to become aware of regional issues and read statistics, and how to put a plan into practice through the real-life examples."

・Net distribution of learning program（e-learning ）

NWEC launched an online course it produced in partnership with the Open University of Japan in April 2016.
Because participants can proceed with their studies at their own pace, it is suitable for a variety of people including working women raising kids, single women who are currently employed, women who are already in established careers but who are thinking about life after retirement, men with female subordinates, and men whose wives have taken childcare leave. Feedback from participants included comments such as “Learning about various women’s lives and choices proved a good opportunity for me to think about my own future career,” “It was great to be able to engage in information exchange with other participants, something that hadn’t been possible hereto with radio and TV-based courses,” and “I learned where I can get information.”

・NWEC CHANNEL（You Tube）