(WARDA), which functions as a leading entity for NERICA's development, Japan also supports projects for the dissemination of NERICA through UNDP and FAO. As well, Japan dispatches experts for disseminating NERICA in Uganda and Benin and executes the trial cultivation of NERICA in various African countries. As a result of these Japanese efforts, the progress has been made for disseminating NERICA in 18 countries as of the end of FY2007, and the cultivation of NERICA has permeated among local farmers in Guinea and Uganda, whose surrounding countries even started the cultivation.

To strengthen assistance for the dissemination of NERICA, it is important to make efforts to improve post-harvest processing such as enhancing facilities like rice mills, to foster human resources for rice cultivation, to establish irrigation methods as a countermeasure against drought, and to improve access to quality seeds and manure.

## Measures in the Area of Fisheries

Japan offers assistance in the area of fisheries from the standpoint of promoting friendly ties in that area and contributing to the development of the fishing industries in developing countries. So far, Japan has developed infrastructure related to the fisheries industry, provided training equipment for fishery training centers, offered technical cooperation related to fisheries and aquaculture industries, and helped improve the livelihood of small fishermen through local fishery corporations. At the request of the government of Gabon, Japan extended cooperation to improve aqua-cultivation expertise for Tilapia, which could be a protein supply source for inland Gabonese, from FY2005 to the end of FY2007. This project was commissioned to the Overseas Fishery Cooperation Foundation of Japan (OFCF of Japan), which provided equipment and dispatched experts. In Owia Bay, St. Vincent and the Grenadines of South America, Japan provided grant aid in FY2006 and FY2007 for sea walls and other infrastructure needed for safe and efficient fishery operations. $ ^{38} $ Since Owia Bay has high waves and is often hit by hurricanes, basic infrastructure for fishery operations had not been developed. It is expected that catches can be increased and working conditions can be improved with this assistance.

## (5) Gender

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Socially-accepted ideas and social systems are generally established from the viewpoint of men in developing countries. Women, consequently, are placed in a weak position in various areas of life. In addition, it is said that women account for about 70% of the world’s poor. The sustainable development of developing countries requires that men and women equally participate in development for the mutual benefit of both.

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Japan, taking account of the importance of gender equality, makes various efforts to empower women in developing countries through bilateral and multilateral frameworks.

In 2005, Japan drastically revised the Women in Development (WID) Initiative formulated in 1995 into the newly formulated Gender and Development (GAD) Initiative. This new initiative stresses the perspective of gender in every area including improvements concerning the unequal relationships between men and women, the disadvantageous socio-economic conditions in which women are placed, and the rigid division of roles and labor between men and women, in addition to education, health, and economic and social participation. In addition, to promote gender mainstreaming $ ^{39} $ in development, GAD sets forth a plan for including the gender perspective in all stages of development assistance; that is, policy formulation, planning, implementation, and evaluation.

The Japan-UNDP Partnership Fund established by Japan within the UNDP, for example, has been pursuing to make policy recommendations by analyzing gender issues with the concept of the Care Economy, which economically represents unpaid labor related to human care mainly dealt with by women (Care), such as raising children, nursing and preparing meals. The fund has also been involved in policy proposals and public relations through international joint research and symposiums on Care Labor. Through these activities, Japan aims at giving due evaluation to Care Labor in terms of its contributions to national economies and poverty reduction in macroeconomic and international finance policies. Since 2007, Japan has been extending assistance to the National Centre for Women’s Development in Nigeria.