1)System of the Headquarters for the Promotion of Gender Equality

In Japan, the Headquarters for the Promotion of Gender Equality was established in July 1994 for smooth and effective promotion of measures towards the formulation of a gender-equal society. The headquarters, having the Prime Minister and the Chief Cabinet Secretary as the President and the Vice president of the Headquarters respectively, is formed by all the cabinet ministers. The headquarters transformed itself from the Headquarters for the Planning and Promoting of Policies Relating to Women, which was originally placed in the Prime Minister's Office, and was placed in the cabinet, at the same time upgrading the members from vice ministers to cabinet ministers. Also, the Office for Gender Equality was established in the Prime Minister's Office in June 1994.

In addition, in the 2nd reshuffled Cabinet led by Mr. Hashimoto, which was inaugurated in September 1997, the Minister for Women's Affairs was replaced by the Minister for Gender Equality to which Mr. Kenzo Muraoka, the Chief Cabinet Secretary, was appointed.

2)Council for Gender Equality

In June 1994, in accordance with the ordinance concerned, the Council for Gender Equality was established, which assumes the responsibility of investigating and deliberating fundamental and comprehensive subjects in relation to the creation of a gender-equal society according to the Prime Minister's request for advice and to submit its opinions on the particulars of the request for advise inquired by the Prime Minister. Though this council was with a time limit until March 31, 1997, the Law concerning the Council for Gender Equality was issued in March 1997, and the Council for Gender Equality without a time limit was established in accordance with the law. The council can investigate and deliberate fundamental and comprehensive policies and important items related to promoting the creation of a gender-equal society and also can present its opinions to the Prime Minister and Ministers concerned on the particulars related to the request for advice. Request for advice inquired by the Prime Minister are two issues: (1) Basic issues related to policies for promotion of the achievement of a gender-equal society (2) Basic policies to ensure a proper response to the changing situation brought about by people's awareness and internationalization in regard to prostitution and other forms of violence against women which impede the achievement of a gender-equal society. In response, a "Committee on Basic Issues" and "Committee on Violence against Women" have been set up and are proceeding in investigation and deliberation. Committee on Basic Issues is investigating and discussing the basic legislation regarding promotional measures to realize a gender-equal society. For this council, it is stipulated by law that the aggregate number, either, by men members or women members shall not be under four tenths of the total number of council members (25), and 60 percent of the council members are women at present.

3)Liaison Conference for the Promotion of Gender Equality

In August 1996, the Liaison Conference for the Promotion of Gender Equality was inaugurated with the objectives to promote information exchange and ideas and to liaise widely with people in various fields of society, in order to promote the creation of a gender-equal society on a nation-wide level. The Conference is composed of 13 eminent persons designated by the Chief Cabinet Secretary and 67 persons representing various organizations such as women's organizations, financial circles, educational circles and the media.

The Planning Committee of the Conference held a meeting on August 26, 1997 to directly hear the opinions on elements to be incorporated in the present report from a wide range of sources such as NGOs. Liaison with NGOs is also promoted in such a way as reporting on every Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women at the Conference.

4)Final Report of the Administrative Reform Council

In November 1996, in order to investigate and deliberate on the fundamental and comprehensive particulars related to the promotion, reorganization and integration of the national organizations, and to address the complicated and wide range of administrative problems with flexibility and accuracy, the Administrative Reform Council was established. According to the final report submitted by the Council in December 1997, the function related to the promotion of gender equality was placed in the Cabinet office that is to be newly established. The Conference for the Gender Equality chaired by the Chief Cabinet Secretary is to be provided in the Cabinet office, replacing the present Council for Gender Equality. This is a machinery to execute investigation and monitor the progress on measures adopted as well as to present the necessary opinions of its own. In addition, the section that deals with the comprehensive coordination of various measures related to gender equality in the coordination department of the Cabinet office is to be the secretariat for the conference. This section was stipulated to be in charge of the comprehensive coordination and other secretariat work beside its function as a secretariat to the conference.

As for enrichment of and improvement to the national machinery, numbers of requests and signatures have been provided from various organizations, etc.

1)Formulation of the Government Action Plan for Persons with Disabilities

In March 1993, the Japanese Government formulated the "New Long Term Program for Government Measures for Disabled Persons" in cooperation with the "Decade of Asian-Pacific Disabled Persons" by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). Afterwards, in December 1995, the Government formulated the "Government Action Plan for Persons with Disabilities - A 7-Year Normalization Strategy" as an implementation plan for important measures to proceed with the realization of the plan. The "Government Action Plan for Persons with Disabilities" is a 7-year plan covering FY 1996 to FY 2002 incorporating concrete targets for the measures such as setting the mode of the numerical targets, and with this, comprehensive measures for women with disabilities as well as for men are promoted with the aim to creating a society in which every individual can actively participate.

As the concrete measures adopted, government authorities are working toward the achievement of the targets within the planned period by setting numerical targets in various fields such as, securing residence; group homes, welfare homes, securing work; sheltered workshops, welfare factories, designation of employment support centers for people with disabilities, enrichment of family care services; at-home services such as home helpers/short home stay service, etc., institutional service such as institutions for disabled persons.

In addition, staged installation and upgrading measures intended for a barrier-free society such as wider sidewalks and elevators at train stations are proceeding with concrete targets in numbers, and the follow-up work to the progress is carried out regularly.

In May 1995, the Government set a guideline to the prefectural and municipal entities, the administrative bodies which are more familiar to the residents, to formulate a basic plan on measures for persons with disabilities. These local public organizations are actively promoting the measures for persons with disabilities based on the plan.

2)Disabled Person's Week

The week between December 3 to 9 has been designated as "Disabled Person's Week" since FY 1995, as the week to campaign for the willingness of both men and women with disabilities to be independent and to participate in society, as well as for an increased level of understanding and recognition by the nation as a whole with regard to the problems of disabled people.

1)Establishment of a long-term care insurance system

In December 1997, the law concerning long-term care insurance was approved to address the needs of establishing a system to support the long-term care socially due to the increasing number of elderly people. And after the subsequent preparatory period, the system will be introduced from April 2000 onward. With this system, bed-ridden elderly persons or elderly persons with senile dementia over 65 years old and people from 40 to 64 years of age in need of long-term care due to diseases caused by aging will be provided with long-term care services covering both at-home and institutional care. As for the use of services, 10 percent of the principal expenses, that would be covered by the insurance, are to be borne by the user. And, in case of the institutional service, food expenses will also be borne by the users.

From now on, towards the implementation of the system from FY 2000, while continuing to promote the maintenance of a basis for the long-term care service in line with the New Gold Plan and in order for the municipalities and the insurer to manage the system smoothly, various aspects are being considered; approval system for those in need of care, national basic policy for the formulation of a long-term care insurance operational plan and details of a clerical management system in consultation with the Council for Medial Insurance and Welfare.

As for cash payment for the family care benefit, due to the concern that it may not necessarily be contributing to the appropriate care, and rather, that there is the fear that family care could be fixed to restrict women engaged in family care work, and that expansion of the long-term care services might rather be restricted with the cash payment, it is decided not to apply to the long-term care insurance system for the time being.