| >> National Theme ｜ Major Activities |
Each member club of the National Federation holds a monthly meeting and develops various activity programs of its own. Also, a common national theme is set each year by the National Federation and the national congress is held once a year.
National Theme
| 2008- | Power to Make a Difference |
| 2005-07 | New Dimensions of Leadership |
| 2002-04 | A World of Peace |
| 2001 |
Empowering Women in Business Empowering Women in Professional |
| 2000 | Empowering Women in Politics |
| 1999 | Empowering Women for the 21st Century |
| 1998 | Partnerships for the future, especially NGOs and GO |
| 1997 | Partnerships for the future, especially women and men |
| 1996 | For the progress of working women in the field of profession |
| 1995 | For the progress of working women in the field of business |
| 1994 | For the progress of working women in the field of politics |
| 1992-93 | Women-environment and development |
| 1990-91 | Women-the Spirit of Enterprise |
| 1988-89 | Why not a women? |
| 1987 | Partnership to make a better world |
| 1986 | To start the first year of the enforcement of the Equal Employment Opportunities Law |
| 1985 | New start for the 21st century (based on study and assessment of the results of the United Nations' Decade for Women) |
| 1984 | To legislate the Equal Employment Opportunities Law in order to ratify the Women's Convention |
| 1981-83 | Toward the ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women |
| 1979-80 | How to enhance women's independence |
| 1977-78 | Suggestions and practical experience directed toward national activity programs |
| 1976 | Life planning for working women embarking on a career in their middle years |
| 1975 | Seeking to link with protection and equality as the foci of the Labor Standard Law |
| 1974 | A study on working mothers and their offspring |
| 1973 | Discrimination in the working place by means of age limits (regulation of early retirement for women workers) |
| 1972 | To advance the status of women in their working place |
| 1971 |
Why is it difficult for women to obtain managerial posts? What is required to crack the barrier? |
Major Activities
In 1975
BPW Japan co-sponsored the International Women's Year Conference of Japan in which 41 organizations participated. At the Conference, they submitted the resolutions inclusive of demands to the relevant governmental agencies according to the Action Plan adopted at the Mexico World Women's Congress. After the Conference, those participant-organizations and BPW Japan delivered the International Women's Year Liaison Group (IWYLG) which is now evaluated as one of the most influential women organizations to the government.
Since 1972
BPW Japan has been a member organization of National Women's Committee of the UN NGOs. The activities of this committee are to recommend women delegates for the UN General Meeting to Japanese government and to promote international friendship and understanding through some exchange programs.
In 1985
BPW Japan founded the Best Men's Prize as a commemoration of the UN's Decade for Women, in order to praise men who served for peace, equality and development. Between 1985 and 2002, "the Best Men" were chosen at the national congress.
In July 1994
BPW Japan welcomed international BPW friends as the host country for the 21st Congress of BPW, which was held at Nagoya.
In 1998
BPW Japan founded the Partnership Evaluation Prize in order to evaluate what the local government did for women from the standpoint of NGO. Since then, at the national congress, the host club nominates the best fruitful local government for women among their region.
In Oct. 2001
BPW Japan held the East Asia Sub-regional Meeting of BPW in Tokyo. The theme of this meeting was Empowering Young Working Women in 21st Century: Education in Science and Environment.
In 2003
BPW Japan started sending young women selected from the public to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UN-CSW), which is annually held in New York.
In 2007 and 2008
Nobuko Kurosaki, then president of BPW Japan, was appointed as a delegate for the UN General Meeting to Japanese government.
In Nov. 2008
Club Tokyo and Club Seoul in Korea signed up for the twinning relationship. The first Meeting was held in Tokyo in October 31, 2009.
In Sept. 2009
Club Nagasaki and Club Incheon in Korea signed up for the twinning relationship.
In Dec. 2012
Club Osaka and Club Taoyuan (Taiwan), and Club Kyoto and Club Taipei (Taiwan) signed up for the twinning relationship at the Asia Pacific Regional Conference in Taipei.
In 2009 and 2010
As one of BPW's projects for realization of gender-equal society, about 500 people got together to the Relay Symposium on Work-life balances held by BPW Japan in Hokkaido, Tokyo, and Wakayama. The Symposium were supported by the Gender Equality Bureau, Cabinet Office.
In 2010～2012
BPW Japan held three symposiums co-sponsored by the the Gender Equality Bureau, Cabinet Office, to raise the awareness of women’s economic power, collaborating Club Sendai (2010), Club Kagawa (2011), and Club Yamanashi. (2012)
In 2009 and 2010
BPW Japan took part in the Japanese Women’s Leadership Initiative (JWLI). Cooperating with Fish Family Foundation and Center for Gender in Organization at Simmons College in Boston, USA. [see the report]
BPW Japan sent fellows to Boston, where NPO activities are well-developed. The aim of this project is to provide the opportunity to learn more about the role of NPOs in the community, management skills, and how to collaborate with governments and other civilian organizations to influence societal changes. BPW Japan hopes that the JWLI project will foster more active participation and contribution of women in Japan. In September, 2010, we sent 4 fellows to Boston. [see the report]
To promote the JWLI project, BPW Japan held the JWLI Forums in June 2010 in Tokyo and Fukuoka. [see the report] About 230 people joined the events.
In 2010
BPW Japan organized a Plenary Panel Discussion, "Strategy for Women's Initiative in Business and Economy," at the 15th APEC Women Leaders Network (WLN) Meeting held in Tokyo, September 19-21, 2010. [see the report]
The panel discussion organized by BPW Japan was a great success, having the President of BPW International, Elizabeth Benham, as a coordinator, who played a valuable role to make the discussion efficient, clear, and fruitful. BPW Japan is also in charge of two other parallel events of APEC WLN Meeting in Yokohama and Sendai.
BPW Japan contributed to draft the Recommendation of APEC WLN Meeting. The Recommendation was submitted to the APEC Leaders and Ministerial meetings. They welcomed the recommendations from the 15th APEC WLN Meeting in their official statement.
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