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President

President Utsumi A New Year Message
　　　　　　　　 Ms. Fusako Utsumi, President
　　　　　　　　National Women's Education Center
　The 2011 Asia Women Eco-Science Forum took place in Seoul, Korea in November 2011, at which three of us from NWEC were privileged to participate. The Forum had been initiated in 2008 with the objective of energizing, through mutual exchanges, women scientists and engineers in Japan, China and Korea. The hosting of the annual forum rotates in turn between the three countries. The last Forum held in Korea developed into a big event with delegates participating from Asia-Pacific region including the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

　As for Japan, there are a growing number of women venturing into the field of research, as evidenced by the annual increase of their number. In the last few years, for example, the ratio of women researchers increased from 13.0% to 13.6% and reached 13.8% last year. This figure, however, is the lowest among the thirty OECD member countries. It is clear that women’s success in this field in Japan is yet to come.

　NWEC organizes Summer School for Junior and High School Girls in collaboration with universities, academic societies and business organizations. This was initiated to increase the number of girl students who will want to aim at being researchers and engineers. The school is held at NWEC for three days during the summer holidays. Engineers and researchers from businesses and universities join the event as interested supporters. It is a major event that involves some 200 people including parents, guardians and teachers. Last year, due to the need to minimize the use of electric power because of the series of disasters that had hit Japan, a one-day event was held in Tokyo organized by the Executive Committee for Summer School for High and Junior High School Girls 2010. This year, NWEC plans to conduct the school once again at the Center. All of us are looking forward to the echo of energetic young voices in NWEC’s grounds in Ranzan-machi town.

　It is not just in the field of research that women’s participation is lagging. The other area that stands out must be the acute lack of female advancement in the management echelons of businesses and organizations. As of 2010, the ratio of women in managerial positions was 6.2%. This compares unfavorably with those of the Western countries where the ratio reaches 30 to 40 %.

　NWEC is committed therefore to promoting the participation of women leaders in local governments, gender equality centers and other women’s centers to attend leadership training sessions and exchanges. It is hoped that leaders will take back what they have learned at NWEC to their local workplaces so as to actively promote various initiatives for gender-equal plans and thereby contribute to the building of a gender-equal society in Japan. Recently, businesses have created departments such as gender equality or diversity promotion offices, committed to promoting gender-equal programs. We are putting together programs for leaders of these newly created positions so that they may participate in training sessions and exchange held at NWEC. We eagerly welcome their participation.

　Leadership in the fields of science and technology as well as at corporate and organizational levels has been developed in a male-centric fashion over the years. As such, the increasing participation of women in these areas cannot be achieved overnight. It us urgently required that a thorough examination take place regarding reasons why women’s entry is difficult, and then to make and steadily implement concrete plans to change this. This year too, every member of the NWEC staff will be working as one to step-by-step advance gender equality.

　We ask you in advance for your support and cooperation.

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