Symposium: Democracy without Equality? Gender Policies in Japan, Germany and South Korea

Equality and the active participation of all in society are currently contested issues in Western societies; on a national and global level, gender equality and diversity are being challenged by nationalist, populist, and fundamentalist forces. Vis-à-vis these global changes, it is helpful to take a comparative look at how equality processes can contribute to more democratization and participation. Against this background, the Japanese-German Center Berlin (JDZB) together with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) is organizing this symposium which will embark on a comparative analysis of Germany with the developments in two western-oriented East Asian countries, Japan and South Korea. Both Japan and South Korea have introduced gender equality acts, civil society and several women's organizations being involved in their drafting and implementation process. Furthermore, both countries are developing approaches to support women in business - as is Germany. Comparing the situation and processes in the three countries should be revealing for all sides.

The symposium will then examine how participation and democratization can be further promoted based on different developments in the areas of modernization and globalization, and in different social structures and cultures.

It brings together leading experts and representatives of women’s studies from Germany, Japan and Korea. Language of the symposium will be English. Please register until 20 November 2017! http://www.jdzb.de/veranstaltungen/detail/id/1628/