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Government Change, Policy Change? Gender Equality Policies in Japan since 2009


Holdgrün, Phoebe (2013). Government Change, Policy Change? Gender Equality Policies in Japan since 2009. Asiatische Studien / Études Asiatiques, 67(2):487-510.

Abstract

After the change of government in 2009, many expected the new DPJ-led government to implement changes in Japanese society and politics. In the area of gender equality policies, new policymaking and implementation dynamics were anticipated. This paper aims at exploring the extent of policy change in the field of gender equality policies since the new government took office in 2009 by focusing on two policies that stood out on the agenda: the compilation of the Third Basic Plan for Gender Equality and the amendment of the Civil Code. In both cases, the prospects for policy change seemed similar, because the governing party was supposed to take up a more progressive stance towards gender equality, timing was fortunate, and the ministers in charge as well as Prime Minister Hatoyama were supporting policy change in these areas. Furthermore, lobbyists from within Japan and the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) Committee called on the Japanese government for action. The policy outcomes, however, turned out to be very different: While the Third Basic Plan for Gender Equality includes prominent new policy measures and is an example of visible policy change, plans for amending the Civil Code failed. The article argues that these differences are best explained by intraparty divisions over gender equality within the ruling DPJ which emerged especially since the party took over government.

Abstract

After the change of government in 2009, many expected the new DPJ-led government to implement changes in Japanese society and politics. In the area of gender equality policies, new policymaking and implementation dynamics were anticipated. This paper aims at exploring the extent of policy change in the field of gender equality policies since the new government took office in 2009 by focusing on two policies that stood out on the agenda: the compilation of the Third Basic Plan for Gender Equality and the amendment of the Civil Code. In both cases, the prospects for policy change seemed similar, because the governing party was supposed to take up a more progressive stance towards gender equality, timing was fortunate, and the ministers in charge as well as Prime Minister Hatoyama were supporting policy change in these areas. Furthermore, lobbyists from within Japan and the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) Committee called on the Japanese government for action. The policy outcomes, however, turned out to be very different: While the Third Basic Plan for Gender Equality includes prominent new policy measures and is an example of visible policy change, plans for amending the Civil Code failed. The article argues that these differences are best explained by intraparty divisions over gender equality within the ruling DPJ which emerged especially since the party took over government.

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Additional indexing

Item Type:Journal Article, refereed, original work
Communities & Collections:Journals > Asiatische Studien / Études Asiatiques > Archive > 67 (2013) > 2
Dewey Decimal Classification:180 Ancient, medieval & eastern philosophy
290 Other religions
Language:English
Date:2013
Deposited On:15 Nov 2013 16:56
Last Modified:30 Jul 2020 10:33
Publisher:Schweizerische Asiengesellschaft / Verlag Peter Lang
ISSN:0004-4717
OA Status:Green
Related URLs:http://www.sagw.ch/de/asiengesellschaft/publikationen/Asiatische-Studien.html (Publisher)
http://www.peterlang.com/index.cfm?vID=86850&vLang=D&vHR=1&vUR=4&vUUR=11 (Publisher)
  • Content: Published Version
  • Language: English