Gender and Teacher Education Policy in Japan: Feminist Teachers Organising for Change

Using strategies learned from the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, a Japanese feminist group took actions that influenced national policy. At a time before the common use of ICT (Information Communication Technology), the movement (named the Group Thinking about Education from Gender Perspectives — Jendā no Shiten Kara Kyōiku o Kangaeru Kai) enlisted the involvement of teachers from all over Japan within only a few months, and successfully pushed for their desired outcome. The qualitative research reported in this paper used case study methodology to elucidate the communication strategies of the Group. Data examined included archived and previously forgotten records of the movement and interviews with the ex-members. This is the first study to document the Group's actions; it shows how feminist teachers in Japan gained empowerment through the movement, and also suggests some guidelines for such action through the consistent alignment of strategies around a central goal.