A keen interest in building women’s networks at local, national, and international levels continues to inspire feminist activity in both Japan and South Korea. Centers for Women’s Studies, activist movements, and feminist research programs are numerous and varied in both countries.
Education About Asia readers may easily gain information about much of the latest feminist activity and research through the national women’s centers in Japan and South Korea.
The Korean Women’s Development Institute (KWDI) in Seoul and the National Women’s Education Centre (NWEC), about one hour outside of Tokyo, offer free English-language newsletters and other publications, and on-line resources that provide useful research tools to both faculty and students. This article introduces these centers, highlights their publications in English, describes their websites, and includes contact information.
As government-funded yet largely autonomous institutions, KWDI and NWEC engage in a wide range of activities. All these activities target increasing women’s power over their personal lives and in public life. Since both centers operate on the principle that access to information of all kinds plays a key role in empowering women, much of the efforts of both focus on the gathering and dissemination of information relevant to women.