This book is an outgrowth of the A Gender Agenda: Asia-Europe Dialogue project, which was conceived to facilitate a dialogue on broad gender issues between two major regions of the world, Asia and Europe. The project aims to foster discussion on the issue of gender mainstreaming and to act as one forum for international exchange on gender issues at the civil society level. The book reports on the conference "A Gender Agenda: Asia-Europe Dialogue—New Visions and Perspectives for Women and Men," held in 2001 in Chiba, Japan. The conference signified the first occasion for women and men with various backgrounds and expertise to gather from throughout Asia and Europe to discuss gender issues from diverse points of view. The conference aimed at defining the common challenges that Asia and Europe are facing today, and to seek suitable social and economic systems for women and men in a changing environment resulting from factors such as globalization and the information technology revolution. An overview, a summary of discussion, and eight background papers—four from Asia and four from Europe—are included.The overview analyzes deliberations at the conference in light of past initiatives to promote women's status and mainstream gender perspectives in political, social, and economic systems.

Contents

Foreword

Overview

Summary of Discussion

Challenges For Women and Men in a Changing Environment

I. Challenges for Women and Men in a Changing Environment

Kanwaljit Soin, Chairperson, UNIFEM Singapore

II. A Gender Lens for Reading the European Context in the Era of Globalisation

Bianca M. Pomeranzi, Gender and Development Chief Advisor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Italy

Human Dimension In the Economy: Engendering the Budget

III. Human Dimensions in Asian Economies: Engendering the Philippine Budget

Lanyan Chen, Gender Advisor, UNIFEM, China

IV. Introducing a Human Dimension to the Economy: Engendering the Budget

Katherine Rake, Lecturer, Department of Social Policy, London School of Economics, United Kingdom

Human Dimension In the Economy: Market and Trade Policies

V. Gender and the Market Mechanism

Toshiaki Tachibanaki, Professor, Institute of Economic Research, Kyoto University; Member, Council for Gender Equality, Prime Minister's Office, Japan

VI. Towards Equal Status in the Economy

Bernard Guibert, Director, Department of Studies, The Minister for Environment, France

Transformational Approach to Political Decision-Making

VII. Transformational Approach to Political Decision-Making

Haydee B. Yorac, Partner, Azcuna Yorac Sarmiento Arroyo & Chua Law Office, Philippines

VIII. Women in Decision-Making in the European Union with Reference to the Finnsh Experience

Tuulikki Petajaniemi, Project Director of Well-Being at Work Programme, Ministry of Labour, Finland

Appendices

Conference Agenda

Participants