Talk at IUPAP General Assembly at Berlin
2002.10.10
Hidetoshi FUKUYAMA
In Japan, IUPAP Paris Conference had a great impact.
Both physics based societies, Physical Society of Japan(JPS) and Japan Society of Applied Physics(JSAP), carried out extensive joint surveys about the situation of women in physics in academia by JPS and industries by JSAP, whose results were reported in Paris Conference.
Both societies sent about 10 delegates altogether, which reported back to the members about the (Paris) Conference and translated the resolutions which were published in their bulletins.
These activities triggered the formation of the congress of scientific societies to promote the "Equal Participation Program nationwide", which was formally approved in the Meeting this last Monday, October 7th, attended by the Minister of Education and several chief executives in the Government. In this congress, 14 scientific societies are the members now; Japan Chemical Society, Japan Society of Mathematics, Japan Society of Chemical Engineering, Polymer Institute etc. not to speak of JPS and JSAP, and 12 societies sent observers.
In the Meeting, even some concrete proposals have been made from the governmental sides. All these indicate that the action of "Women in Physics" initiated by IUPAP has now started to affect science and technology societies in general in Japan.
I think this is due to fact the actions taken by "Women in Physics" are humane and important to each corner of societies.
But there are many things yet to be done to get close to the goal of Equal Participation, to which, I hope, IUPAP keep making efforts. Thank you.