What is the Center for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion?

History of the Center for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion

Director, Center for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion
Mieko Tashiro

In 2009, Saitama University established the Saitama University Gender Equality Office based on the Second Basic Plan for Gender Equality and released the Saitama University Gender Equality Declaration in December of the following year. The initiatives of the Gender Equality Office took a major step forward in 2017 when Saitama University was selected for the Initiative for Realizing Diversity in the Research Environment, a Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology program for the development of human resources in science and technology. As a result, the Diversity Promotion Office was established and has been working toward specific goals related to efforts to promote the recruitment and appointment of female faculty members and nurture the next generation of female researchers. In addition, as part of this project, the Sainokuni Female Researchers Network was formed in collaboration with Saitama Prefecture to promote the activities of female researchers and engineers in the Saitama region, and it has since become the foundation from which we promote diversity at Saitama University.

In FY2020, the Gender Equality Office became Diversity Promotion Office, and we issued the Saitama University Diversity Statement. This was not just a simple name change; it was a declaration of our determination to promote diversity throughout the university in addition to our existing efforts to support female researchers.

In fact, under the leadership of the President and with the support of the University Executive Department, the Diversity Promotion Office was one of the first organizations in the university to realize a collaborative faculty-staff framework. Not only that, but the promotion of diversity and the enhancement of frameworks for the diversity promotion at Saitama University were clearly positioned as outlined below in the fourth-term goals and plans formulated in FY2021, which took effect in FY2022.

“In order for an environment of diversity, where diversity and inclusion are respected, to take root in the local community, the Diversity Promotion Office will strengthen its structure and build an organization that will serve as a hub for diversity promotion in Saitama Prefecture. It will also collaborate with universities, companies, and government agencies in Saitama Prefecture, revolving around the Sainokuni Female Researchers Network, to play a central role in raising awareness of diversity and inclusion among local citizens.”

Based on this plan, the Diversity Promotion Office was reorganized into the Center for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion in FY2022, and its organization took a great leap forward with an increase in full-time faculty members from one to three and the establishment of the supporting Division for Promotion of Industry, Government and University Collaboration and Diversity. Under this new structure, we will further enhance our existing initiatives and vigorously engage in (1) the planning, development and provision of the Diversity Problem Solving Education Program and (2) support for the planning of interdisciplinary and joint research from the perspective of diversity. Together with all members of the university, including our students, and by establishing a framework of cooperation with the local community, we will pursue further efforts to advance gender equality and diversity in Japan, which lags far behind the rest of the world.