Paper short abstract:

This paper examines the process of leadership development for women in the Japanese labor union. Through comparative analysis with the Korean case, it will explore the conditions under which labor unions can develop women leaders capable of requesting and applying gender equality in union practices.

Paper long abstract:

To revitalize labor movements and achieve gender equality, it is essential that women attain positions of leadership within unions. Since 2013, the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (RENGO) has taken proactive steps to promote diversity in women's leadership, such as setting a goal to achieve a 30 percent quota of women in union executive positions by 2020. However, there still exists a gender gap. Last year, Women's representation in the union executive was only 14 percent and women continue to be underrepresented in positions of leadership despite increasing female participation rates in union membership. Why were labor unions in Japan unable to achieve '202030'?

To answer this question, this paper examines the process of leadership development for women in Japan based on the empowerment approach. By adopting the concept of "gender needs" it will investigate the current process of leadership development in Japanese labor unions and look for means how to encourage women to overcome the existing power imbalance between men and women. In contrast to the situation in Japan, the Korean Women's Trade Union (KWTU) has made use of the empowerment approach since its establishment in 1999 and has been able to train union leaders to be able to seek strategic gender needs. Through comparative case studies, this paper will explore the conditions under which labor unions can develop women leaders capable of requesting strategic gender needs and applying these needs to their union practices. Its findings suggest that the empowerment approach will not only contribute to the increase in women leaders to the goal of 30 percent, but will help to strengthen gender mainstreaming at all policy-making processes of labor unions.