Equality of Opportunity in Education and Training - Programmes under the Ministry of Education

The Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture is responsible for a number of programs relevant to women and education:

1. The "Program for Educational Reform"  is one of the important governmental reform policies and includes a requirement to promote education to increase awareness of gender equality.
2. There are a number of educational programs targeted towards women including comprehensive programs to promote women's lifelong learning and programs to promote gender equality learning for the empowerment of women. The Ministry has established the Home Education Forum, which provides an opportunity for people to consider more cooperative roles between men and women in home life. In addition, the Ministry produces and distributes home education materials such as the Handbook on Home Education and Notebook on Home Education.
3. Since 1996, the Ministry has held "Gender Equality Seminars for Youth" in institutions of higher education which seek to develop decision-making skills in relation to life and career choices and to educate young men and women about gender equality in the home, local communities and the workplace.
4. Under Ministry-established Courses of Study, both girls and boys are required to study Home Making at elementary school, as well as junior and senior high school, under an identical curriculum. The National Curriculum also seeks to promote child rearing by the united efforts of both sexes.
5. Research institutions on women's or gender studies have been set up at some universities, for example Ochanomizu University, the Women's University of Osaka Prefecture and the Aichi Shukutoku University (private).