In November 2016, Carnegie Council's Asia Dialogues program led a group of 12 Pacific Delegates from seven countries and a diverse set of professional backgrounds to Tokyo, to examine moral issues around gender equality in Japanese society.
Here follow articles written by delegation members as a result of the site visit:
Integrating the Roles of Women into Japan's Climate Change Strategies
Atik Ambarwati, Carnegie Council website, March 2, 2017
Among Shinzo Abe's most important initiatives are Cool Earth 50 to reduce greenhouse gases and Womenomics to increase women's participation in the labor force. Yet despite women's important roles in agriculture and environmental protection at many levels, when it comes to the environment, women's contributions and potential have been ignored.
Women at a Cultural Crossroads in Japan
Mary Vo, The Baines Report, January 31, 2017
"As Japan suffers economic lag, it faces a second challenge in boosting its birth rate in response to its graying population. Womenomics attempts to address both of these challenges, but Japan seems to be asking its women to shoulder contradictory burdens."
What's Ailing Womenomics?
V. Ayano Ogawa, The Diplomat, January 26, 2017
Despite government efforts, cultural pressures continue to dissuade many women in Japan from joining the workforce.
Japan and Education: A Victim of its own Success?
Devin Stewart, Times Higher Education (London) December 18, 2016
Recent university rankings results provide some much-needed discomfort in Japan, says Carnegie Council's Devin Stewart, Asia Dialogues program director and leader of the delegation.
5 Revelations about Sex and Gender in Tokyo
Kristen Sollee, bustle.com, December 16, 2016
"For the uninitiated, Tokyo conjures scenes of bright lights and unknown pleasures. It's a hedonistic paradise plucked from a retro futurist sci-fi novel where anything goes—for men, at least. ... I can affirm that this vision isn't altogether inaccurate—but there's a lot more to the picture than meets the eye."
Women Will Save Japan
Ankit Panda, The Diplomat, December 1, 2016
Improving women's political and economic participation will be central to preserving Japan's status as a global heavyweight.
