Interdisciplinary Seminar:
Education for Employment, Economic Independence and Decision-making
Convener: Suhad Jarrar-Browne, Great Britain

Women in the Process of Decision-making: A Case-study of Japanese Career Women
Reiko T. Aoki, Japanese Association of University Women

Thirty years has passed since the International Year for Women was launched by the United Nations. More than a decade has gone since the Beijing Conference was convened as the landmark to review three preceding conferences on women held during the Decade for Women, 1976 to 1985. What was achieved for women in those years was outstandingly remarkable. Its effects went throughout the world, in both developed and developing countries. The United Nations has thus achieved within 60 years of its history something that women movements could not have done in the past several centuries. Nevertheless, we should also examine and review what has not been achieved yet even by such worldwide UN campaign. Such defaults could be observed mainly in the area of implementation, not in leg islation , and among them the most eminent default would be in the field of placing women into the post of decision-making. H ow many women , f or instance, have been able to access the opportunities provided for people to participate in the process of decision-making in politics and industries in Japan? Showing the data available for examining the current situations, I will point out what is lacking and what we might expect for remedying the situation for the future. Would education serve as the solution? Is there any other means that we can propose? Along with th e basic problems underlying the issues, I will develop the theme that the situation must be similarly acknowledged in other countries.

Reiko T. Aoki, Professor Emeritus of the University of the Sacred Heart, Tokyo, holds a Masters Degree in Arts from Georgetown University, Washington, USA. Very active in UN matters, she was a member of the Japanese National Council for UNESCO, 1989-1995. She is a past CIR and President of the Japanese Association, a Vice-President of IFUW and IFUW President 2000-2003 . In 2005 she received a prime Ministerial Commendation for her contribution to the Equal Gender Society.