First week

Our Fellows arrived over Labor Day weekend and hit the ground running!  They had a busy week at Web of Benefit.  In additon to firsthand observation of the organization's operation, learning about founding a grassroots NPO, and drafting their Dream Proposals, the Fellows also visited other organizations in Boston such as the Mayor's Commission for Women, the Family Justice Center, and Boston Legal Services.

(Photo credit: Yuka Miyazawa)



An Excerpt from Yamanashi newspaper by JWLI Fellow Yuka

Challenges I faced in the last 20 years working in child-care support

I started “Chibikko House” (NPO Child-Care Support Center Chibikko House) in November, 1991, when my daughter was 3 months old. Due to insecurities in my abilities as a mother, I felt a great need for child care support, and so, using my knowledge as a nursery school teacher, I opened a child-care center for babies and mothers. Since then, I started various work such as: publishing a child-care information magazine called “Chibikko Press”; establishing a child-care circle network; organizing parent-child workshops; holding child-care support training seminars; holding several kids events; and setting up a daycare center. It’s been almost 20 years since I first started the child-care center.


If someone were to ask me what has changed in the last 20 years, I would answer that the concept of child-care support has become much more widely accepted in Japanese society than before. One great advancement is the number of the child-care centers - three 20 years ago, and now more than 100. In addition, the number of people and organizations that work for child-care support is increasing. Their lively efforts are impressive. Whenever we got observers from outside of Yamanashi, I believed more and more that Yamanashi is the leading prefecture in child-care support.

However, problems associated with child care are more serious and widespread with the changing of times. I feel that it is very difficult to find solutions for such serious issues. News about child abuse on TV shocks us almost every day. We now have to think of child abuse as not only a parents’ issue but also a social problem for parents and children.

After my experiences, I believe there are 2 objectives that we now need for society regarding child-care support. They are the “empowerment of mothers” and “companies’ social contributions”.

“Empowerment of mothers” means the recovery of mothers’ confidence. I’ve seen mothers who were away from work due to pregnancy and child birth and have lost confidence because they feel like they are isolated from society and stuck in child care with loneliness and anxiety. Because of their depression, the number of mothers who have children but want to work and earn some money has been increasing. Mothers who wish to work suffer when they have this philosophy that they have to stay home and raise children pushed upon them. We also have to consider fathers and families as well. We have to try to provide a good environment where working parents can work and raise children with relief and confidence. A situation where people who stay home and raise children or who work and raise children having full confidence in society and enjoying time with their children, should lead to children’s happiness. 　

My second objective has to do with “companies’ social contributions”. When companies think about CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), I want them to focus on “child education”, too. A rich education for children will lead to a bright future for Japan. According to a survey by the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), countries leading in education, such as Finland and New Zealand, put great focus on the budget and policies for children’s education, but the budget for children’s education in Japan is among the lowest in the world.


As a start, companies can start CSR and build a system where all of society can think about children’s education. And it will be a wonderful day when Japan becomes a country where all children, whether they are from poor or rich families, can have the best level of education.

To realize those two objectives, we will step up to a new level and welcome our 21st year.

Introducing the 2011 Fellows!

Michiko holds a B.A. in English and American Literature, as well as certificates in Communication and Counseling.  Her impressive career has been focused on communications and public relations. Additionally, Michiko has contributed to many publications in the capacity of author, translator, and columnist.  Michiko has been involved with a story-telling group, suicide prevention education, and dreams of developing the empowerment discussion circle she founded into an NPO.
          　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
Yuka earned an Associate’s Degree in Childcare.  In addition to teaching kindergarten and founding and directing a day care, she has spent twenty years as a director of a nonprofit organization dedicated to nursing.  Yuka wishes to develop leadership opportunities for women in Japan, through advocating for better maternity leave policies, increased childcare availability, and offering networking and informal education around these issues.

Yuki holds a B.A. in Italian language and a certificate in Global Career Development.  She has considerable professional experience in magazine design, production, and management.  Additionally, Yuki has volunteered to manage website and implement events at an NPO for Women’s Education and Leadership with the objective of offering guidance and assistance for young female workers; supported an NPO founded by college graduates, with the objective of offering places for women from different ages and segments to meet and discuss their issues and opportunities; and initiated workshops to empower young women, by presenting role models and offering networking opportunities, to help develop participants’ leadership and facilitate career development. Yuki wants to start own her business in the area of career development support for young people, particularly women.

Yuri has a B.A. in Politics and Economics.  In high school, she was a foreign exchange student in Florida.  She currently works as an analyst, Investigating and estimating the outcome of different sorts of national projects.  Yuri hopes to become an entrepreneur and to build a diverse company that provides opportunities for women’s leadership

JWLI Founder featured in Boston Globe

JWLI founder Atsuko Fish is featured in this Boston Globe article about her work with the Japanese Disaster Relief Fund (JDRF).  CGO Director Patricia Deyton is also quoted.

Image source (Aram Boghosian)

Good news for Japan's nonprofits

The DPJ, LDP and New Komeito, despite some disagreement over how to reform the tax system in general, are expediting (jp) through the Diet a bill that offers those donating to NPOs more favourable treatment in the tax system, as well as makes NPO certification for tax deduction purposes much easier than it has been.


Check out this interesting article about changes to nonprofit tax policies in Japan at the blog Sigma 1.

This of especial interest to the JWLI Programs, as they offer support for expanding the NPO/NGO sector, and especially for the advancement of women in this growth.

2011 Fellows Program

At CGO we are very actively planning for the arrival of our 2011 Fellows: Yuki, Yuri, Michiko, and Yuka!  The Boston nonprofits Web of Benefit, Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence, and Ellis Memorial will each host the Fellows for a week again, and visits to other organizations are planned as well.

We also have a new website for the Japanese Women's Leadership Initiative- check it out here!

2011 Forum Publicity

Due to the March 2011 natural disaster, the 2011 Forums originally scheduled for April 9 and 11 in Nagoya and Yokohama have been postponed.

A Simmons Welcome

Yesterday, CGO hosted two representatives from Business and Professional Women Japan (BPWJ), Masako Hiramatsu and Toshimi Matsubara, Esquire.  Ms. Hiramatsu was a 2007 Fellow, and it was a pleasure to welcome her back to Simmons campus.

We discussed our preparations for the 2011 Forum Program.  The Forum Program is just six weeks away!  BPWJ has been crucial in involving participation from the Yokohama City government, including Mayor Fumiko Hayashi, ranked the 39th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes.  Ms. Hiramatsu and Ms. Matsubara also updated us about the activities of past Fellows. 

Following lunch, our Japanese guests visited the Museum of Fine Arts, where current exhibits include An Unspoken Dialogue with Japanese Tea and Flowers and Festivals: Four Seasons in Japanese Prints.

Image source

Mark your calendars!

Due to the March 2011 natural disaster, the 2011 Forums originally scheduled for April 9 and 11 in Nagoya and Yokohama have been postponed.
This has been a busy winter! The Center for Gender in Organizations and our partner organization, Business and Professional Women Japan have been busy preparing for:

Recruitment for the 2011 JWLI Fellows Program

Application Deadline: April 30, 2011
Send to Attn: Ms. Yanagishita/Ms. Sakurai
The Office of Business & Professional Women, Japan, JWLI Section
2-21-11 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ward, Tokyo, FK Building 303


Image source

Goodbye, Fellows

On Friday afternoon, CGO bade farewell to the 2010 JWLI Fellows. The Closing Luncheon at Petit Robert was attended by the Fellows, CGO staff, the Executive Director of the Fish Family Foundation, and the chief executives of the host organizations: Web of Benefit, Ellis Memorial, and ATASK. Following the Closing Luncheon, the Fellows honored the CGO staff by performing a Japanese tea ceremony at Simmons College.



CGO wishes the Fellows the best of luck as they return to Japan, strengthened by their experiences and education in Boston. With Action Plans for Japan ranging from counseling women with mental health problems to promoting career education and workforce development for female university students to starting a social business to empower women in developing countries to rehabilitating people with criminal backgrounds, the Fellows have indeed begun the development of their own visions and inner strength needed to take the initiatives and risks to make their visions come true.

Last week of the Fellows Program

This week marks the fourth and last week for the 2010 Fellows Program.  The Fellows have been hosted by the Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence, New England's only nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing domestic violence in Asian families and providing hope to survivors.  At ATASK, the Fellows learned from President Linda Chin and other staff members about legal advocacy, domestic violence shelters, and planning an annual advancement event.

Another highlight of this week was the Closing Reception held at Simmons School of Management on Tuesday, September 28.  Simmons College President Helen Drinan and Provost Charlena Seymour, as well as Consul General of Japan to Boston Toyohisa Kozuki were among the honored guests.

Check out pictures from the Closing Reception here (and friend CGO on Facebook if you haven't already)!

The Fellows Program continues

Last week, the Fellows were hosted by Ellis Memorial, Boston's first settlement house.  During the course of the week, they visited adult and youth programs, learned about fundraising, grant-writing, volunteer management, and more.  They also visited the Family Justice Center and the Consulate General of Japan.  Additionally, the Fellows attended a Red Sox game at Fenway Park!

This week, the Fellows attended Strategic Leadership for Women, an executive education program based at Simmons School of Management that helps women gain the knowledge and skills needed to become an influential leader.  Over the weekend, they will see more of New England as they visit Vermont.

Finally, the post "Inspiration from the East" about Japanese women in business on the PriceWaterhouseCoopers blog is very interesting and pertinent to the Fellows Program. 

Welcome, Fellows!

On September 6, 2010, the Japanese Women’s Leadership Initiative (JWLI) Fellows Program began its fourth year at Simmons School of Management. This week, the Fellows are hosted by Web of Benefit, a not-for-profit organization for women affected by domestic violence. 

Yesterday, the Fellows visited The Boston Foundation, one of the oldest and largest community foundations in the nation.  They discussed international issues as the role of the government and social services, public health, and education with TBF's President and CEO, Paul Grogan.  Mr. Grogan also presented at the 2010 JWLI Forum held in two Japanese cities this summer.

In addition to time spent on site at Web of Benefit, other highlights for this week include visiting the Elizabeth Stone House, the Boston Women's Commission, and attending a course at the Harvard Extension School.

Pictured from left to right:

Keiko, Kazue, Eriko, and Chisato

Fellows Program Description

The last two weeks have been full of preparations for the Fellows program.  I'd like to share with you one of the fruits of CGO's labor: the 2010 Japanese Women's Leadership Initiative Fellows Program Description (pdf link).  This document is a primer to the US-based, month-long nonprofit management and women's leadership program and is used for recruiting Fellows as well as advance reading for the incoming Fellows.  Please take a look!

One, two, three, four, five

One month

Two countries

Three presentations

Four Fellows

 Five weeks to go!

One month
So much has happened in the last month! 

Two countries
The Japanese Women's Leadership Initiative continues to increase cultural exchange between Japan and the United States.

Three presentations
Patricia Deyton, Faculty Director of the Center for Gender in Organizations at Simmons School of Management, Atsuko Fish of the Fish Family Foundation and Simmons College Trustee, and Paul Grogan, President and CEO of The Boston Foundation have returned from a week in Japan as part of the first Japanese Women’s Leadership Initiative (JWLI) Seminar and Forum. The Seminar and Forum Program, a three-year series of seminars and workshops designed to educate a broader audience about the value of the nonprofit sector, its potential role in addressing social issues in Japan and opportunities for leadership for women is funded by the United States-Japan Foundation and continues social change and women’s leadership efforts begun with the JWLI Fellows Program, now entering its fourth year at the SOM.

The JWLI Seminar and Forum Program provides an opportunity for many women and men to learn about the American style of philanthropy, encourage more learning about effective nonprofit management, and inspire women to become leaders in the nonprofit sector. Through the course of the week, Professor Deyton, who has over 30 years of experience at the highest executive levels in the nonprofit sector and Mr. Grogan, President and CEO of one of the largest and most influential community foundations in the United States, delivered lectures in the cities of Tokyo and Fukuoka to over 250 people. They also met with business leaders and representatives of several groups interested in becoming partners with the Forum Program. Mrs. Fish and Professor Deyton also spoke to 100 students at Showa Women’s University in Tokyo, an undergraduate college with a campus in Boston.

Combining the Seminar and Workshop Program with the continuation of the US based JWLI Fellows Program creates the beginning of a social movement in Japan that addresses and furthers the overall mission of JWLI to teach and support Japanese women to become leaders for progress and agents of change in the nonprofit sector. The JWLI Seminar and Workshop Program will build upon the potential of many positive developments in Japan, creating a dialogue for a change-oriented agenda and building a base for solidifying the gains already made by Japanese women.

Four Fellows
In addition, while in Japan, Patricia Deyton and Atsuko Fish interviewed candidates for the 2010 Japanese Women's Leadership Initiative Fellows Program.  The Fellows Program is funded by the Fish Family Foundation.

CGO is proud to announce the following women have been chosen as Fellows:

Kazue is currently pursuing her PhD in Sociology with a focus on family issues. She has professional experience in the corporate sector as well as an educator. She has a long involvement with cultural exchange programs.

Keiko retired from working in marketing for luxury brands. She now runs her own consulting firm in Tokyo. Participating in the Fellows Program satisfies her longtime goal of attending Simmons College.

Chisato holds a Masters Degree in Sociology with a focus on Corporate Social Responsibility. She has professional experience in both the corporate and NGO sectors.

Eriko holds a Masters Degree in Social Science with a focus on gender issues. She has worked for various Japanese NGOs for the past several years.

Five weeks
In just five weeks, the 2010 Fellows will arrive in Boston.  Keep checking back for more CGO updates!