## Addressing Gender Issues through ODA

Socially-accepted ideas and social systems in developing countries are often formed based on the perspectives of men, and women are given weak standpoints in a variety of aspects. In order to achieve sustainable development in developing countries, it is necessary to encourage both men and women to equally participate in and benefit from development.

Japan states its emphasis on gender perspectives in its ODA Charter and Medium-Term ODA Policy. Based on these statements, Japan announced the Gender and Development (GAD) Initiative in 2005, as a concrete guideline to promote gender equality in development. The GAD Initiative clarifies Japan's basic ODA approach for the mainstreaming of gender (Note 6), and comprehensively shows specific efforts with gender perspectives on the priority issues in the ODA Charter, namely, poverty reduction, sustainable growth, addressing global issues, and peace-building.

In terms of support that gives particular attention to gender equality, from 2005 through 2008, Japan cooperated with Afghanistan's provincial women's offices that are outposts of the Ministry of Women's Affairs located in each province, and supported organizations and establishment of business by women. In order to enable the Ministry of Women's Affairs to provide support for women through the women's offices in each province, Japan surveyed and grasped the needs of women in each region, and worked on environmental improvements in order to promote economic activities by women, in collaboration with the relevant government agencies and other affiliated organizations. Furthermore, Japan provides support that gives particular attention to gender equality in collaboration with an international organization, such as the Japan-UNDP Partnership Fund which was established by Japan within the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

## Section 2

## Measures for Each of the Priority Issues

The four priority issues of poverty reduction, sustainable growth, approaches to global issues, and peace-building are listed in the ODA Charter. This section will introduce Japan’s recent approaches to these issues.

### 1. Poverty Reduction

## (1) Education

Education plays an important role in socio-economic development for poverty reduction. It also enables individuals to develop their own talents and capabilities, as well as to live with dignity. However, approximately 72 million children are unable to attend school worldwide, 54% of which are

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Emphasizing “nation building” and “human resource development,” Japan provides developing countries with wide-ranging educational supports, including basic education, higher education, and technical and vocational education and training. Japan announced the “Basic Education for Growth Initiative (BEGIN)” in 2002, based on which it provides assistance that combines both “hard” and “soft” aspects, such as building schools and teacher training, girls. The total number of adults who do not possess the minimum literacy ability is roughly 759 million people, of which two-thirds are women (Note 7). The international community aims at realizing “Education for All (EFA)” to improve this situation (Note 8).

with the emphasis on ensuring opportunities for education, raising its quality, and improving management as priorities. There is also the “Fast Track Initiative (FTI)” $ ^{9} $ (Note $ ^{9} $ ), a global framework to achieve universal primary education by 2015. As the G8 chair, Japan served as an FTI co-chair and member of its Steering Committee from January 2008, and was deeply involved in FTI debates and reformative efforts. Japanese contribution to FTI-related trust funds totaled