“Hiroshima University CAPWR(Career Advancement Project for Women Researchers),
which started from a ‘Neko-no-Te Project’”“CAPWR” has been supporting female researchers at Hiroshima University for over ten years now.
When raising children, there are times when you are driven to “wanting even the help of a cat (neko-note)”, which is a Japanese phrase meaning ‘extremely busy’. University teachers are no different. When it
comes to teachers, especially female teachers, their novice period, child-birth and child-rearing periods
overlap, so it is a profession where it is particularly difficult to balance work and home life.
To address such concerns, the “Female Researcher Support Model” (Special Coordination Funds for thePromotion of Science and Technology) was publicly advertised at the end of December 2005. To participate
in this, a working group (WG) was formed by female researchers at Hiroshima University early the following
year. Dr. Fumiko Tajima, Professor of Graduate School of Science (at that time), who had taken up a post at
Hiroshima University after researching for many years in the U.S.A., became the leader of that WG andstarted the “Neko-no-Te Project” to adopt the “Female Researcher Support Model”.
This project first investigated what was needed for female researchers at Hiroshima University to balancechild-rearing and childcare with work, and gathered basic data concerning gender equality at Hiroshima
University. Based on the results of this status analysis, the “Neko-no-Te” project WG, together with theheads of the university, had lots of discussions about what the university should and could do. This resulted
in the proposal of a comprehensive “Equality Platform” (place of gender equality research and education)plan founded on the two pillars of research environment development and awareness reform.
This first Hiroshima University female researcher support plan was named “CAPWR (CareerAdvancement Project for Women Researchers)” by Prof. Tajima. Unfortunately, this plan was not adopted in
its first year, but as a result of the plan, the foundations of gender equality at Hiroshima University were putin place. In October 2006, the “Declaration of Gender Equality” was made and the “Gender Equality
Promotion Committee” was established in February 2007.
The “Neko-no-Te Project” WG was formally established as the “CAPWR (Career Advancement Project forWomen Researchers)” in February 2007, and the project logo (upper left) was created by the young New
York-based artist, Ms. Mika Tajima. By May 2007, activities started to bear fruit and “the Project to Support
Women Researchers for Leadership Development in Hiroshima University” was adopted as a “Female
Researcher Support Model” (Special Coordination Funds for the Promotion of Science and Technology). The
essential parts of this support model were to establish a ① home/work balance support environment
program, and an ② awareness reform program, and then develop a ③ Hiroshima University-specifichuman resource leadership program in order to foster female researchers.
The Gender Equality Promotion Office was established in April 2008. Due to the “Project to Accelerate
Reform of Female Researcher Development System” (“Human Resource Development Program for Scienceand Technology”, 2010), the “Career Advancement of Female Researchers through Reform of Hiroshima
University System (2010 - 2014)” was adopted as a “Program to Support Research Activities of Female
Researchers (2013 - 2015)”, which has resulted in the strengthening of gender equality activities atHiroshima University.
Hiroshima University’s new project proposal (2017-2022) was adopted and is currently ongoing as an“Initiative for the Implementation of a Diversity Research Environment (Collaborative Type)” (HumanResource Development Program for Science and Technology). The English name of this program is “CAPWR(Career Advancement Project for Women Researchers)” and the CAPWR logo is used above.
Hiroshima University’s gender equality promotion activities project, which started from the “Neko-no-TeProject”, was initially undertaken with the ultimate aim of realizing a research and educational environmentthat allows female and male researchers to develop and make use of their individualities. This projectcontinues to develop and evolve today, and will keep doing so, well into the future.

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