Mediator’s Role of the Women’s Bureau: Activities in the Decision Making for the 1986 EEOL

This chapter examines to what extent the Bureau of Women and Minors (BWM) influenced the decision-making process for the 1986 Equal Employment Opportunity Law (the 1986 EEOL) and what roles it played in policymaking and decision-making for the law. The central questions are how they negotiated and made compromises with employers, labor unions, and public interest representatives to gain their acceptance of a gender equality law in employment. Moreover, this chapter explores how international influence and women’s groups in Japan made an impact on the political decision-making process.