National Women’s Education Center of Japan

The National Women's Education Center (NWEC) held its 2013 Seminar for Gender Equality Officers and Women Leaders in the Asia Pacific Region from September 26 to October 5 under the theme of gender equality for men, with the participation of nine women leaders from five countries in the Asia Pacific region (Cambodia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam) who each work in a national machinery, non-governmental organization or research institution.

After arriving at the NWEC, the group of participants had a tour of the Information Center for Women's Education and Women's Archives Center. They presented country reports, sharing the latest gender equality policies in the five Asian countries and issues involved in the promotion of male engagement in this field.
On day three of the Seminar, the venue was shifted to Tokyo, where they attended lectures at NPO Florence, an organization advocating diverse forms of work that take into account work-life balance, and the Cabinet Office Gender Equality Bureau. This was followed by a courtesy visit to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to present the outcomes of the first half of the Seminar before Mr. Takayoshi Seiki, Director-General of the Lifelong Learning Policy Bureau.

During the study tour in Kyoto, members of a Kyoto University project team gave a report on their analysis of the perception on sexuality among highly-educated male students in Japan, as was brought to light in the course of gender theory classes. Following a tour of the Center for Women Researchers, Kyoto University, the participants visited the Kyoto Women's Center WINGS to hear a report on the courses targeting men and consultation services for men that the Center has offered. The participants then had a question and answer session, which they very animatedly engaged themselves in, on the subjects of childcare leave programs in their home countries and the state of domestic violence in Japan.

After the study tour, the group returned to the NWEC, where they attended a lecture in which NWEC research staff briefed their "Gender Equality and Men in Japan" study conducted from 2011 to 2012. Seminar participants also learned about the initiative to promote men's engagement in community activities in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake from Ms. Kazue Ishikawa from the Ishinomaki Municipal Government.

The participants attended the FY2013 NWEC International Symposium, which was held in Tokyo on October 5, and headed home on the following day.

In between the lectures and tours, the participants also had opportunities to learn about Japanese history and culture, including their visits to the Kyoto Imperial Palace and Kinkakuji Temple in Kyoto and participation in an origami class offered by NWEC volunteers.
We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to those who kindly agreed to host the participants in the Seminar, to our lecturers and to everyone else who extended a helping hand as a volunteer.