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	<< Back "DAWN" Newsletter of The DAWN CENTER Active now! Get together, Challenging women entrepreneurs The Dawn Center offers pioneering enlightenment programs aimed at the realization of a gender-equal society. One of the biggest events in 2003 was the "Women's Challenge Fair," held on October 25 and 26. The Dawn Center devoted considerable energy toward this event. Compared with other nations, Japan is said to be one where women play less active roles in society. Women account for only 8.9% of those in management posts in Japanese enterprises. The gender empowerment index in the UNDP report on human development, which shows the degrees of women's participation in society, ranks Japan at 44 among 66 nations. Under such circumstances, the "Women's Challenge Fair" played a supporting role in the realization of a gender-equal society, one where ambitious women are able to exert their individuality and ability. The main theme was "Active now! Get together, challenging women entrepreneurs!" The fair consisted of various programs for women who are challenging their abilities in a number of fields and struggling for independence and self-realization. It included lectures, symposiums, and seminars with titles such as "How to Advance Your Career in Enterprises," "Balancing Childcare and Career," "The Way to Entrepreneurship," and "Working at NPO/NGOs." The fair also gave case presentations of successful women entrepreneurs and presented a forum of Japan's four women governors. Drama producer Ms. Yukiko Kobayashi, who was the first woman to take the post of director of program production at NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation), opened the fair by calling on Japan’s working women to "Lithely accumulate your career in organizations." In the afternoon of the first day, Japan’s four incumbent women governors highlighted the afternoon program on the first day, October 25. The four governors, during a forum at the Dawn Center, talked about the supporting policies for gender-equality from an administrative viewpoint. On the second day, several colorful programs took place, including seminars supporting working mothers and women continuing their work and lectures for women hoping to work in the field of NPO/NGOs, an area that is drawing growing interest in Japan. The featured program on the second day of the fair was "Onna-Akindo Aki-matsuri" (Autumn fair for women entrepreneurs). Successful case-study displays by women entrepreneurs, opportunities for consultation, introduction of NPO activities, and administrative information corners, clearly displayed the venture business energy for which Naniwa (the historic name for Osaka) is famous. The bustling and joyful fair was a great success, encouraging the women who took part. Osaka Gender Equality Foundation In order to develop various projects for achieving a gender-equal society in which women and men can cooperate in every field to create a more humane life, this foundation was established in 1994 by the Osaka Prefectural Government, and it administers and operates the Dawn Center. Osaka Gender Equality Foundation 3-49, 1-chome Otemae, Chuo-ku, Osaka, 540-0008 Japan Phone +81-6-6910-8615 Fax -81-6-6910-8624 E-mail jigyo@dawncenter.or.jp [URL] http://www.dawncenter.or.jp/ Planning Staff: Haneko Inoue, Tamara Swenson, Akiko Nishio, Masuko Tashiro Edit: Argo Produced by The Dawn Center Programming Group Issued by Osaka Gender Equality Foundation Page Top Copyright (C) 2007 DawnCenter. All Rights Reserved.