Introduction

Japan and Britain are both industrialised countries and have similar health care systems with universal provision. Women have a very high life expectancy in each of these countries, at 85 years-of-age in Japan and 81 in Britain (UNDP, 2001). Yet in both cases they have been critical of the health services they are offered and have campaigned for reforms. At the heart of their criticisms lies a common concern with women's entitlement to effective and appropriate health care. However, closer examination reveals significant differences in the form of these activities as well as their immediate goals. These in turn can be linked to wider differences in the nature of feminist politics in the two countries.

This chapter explores the ways in which living in Japan and Britain has shaped women's perceptions of their health care needs. It reviews the nature of women's health activism in each setting, and concludes with a summary of some of the common challenges now facing women as they fight for a healthier society.

Women's activism in Japan

Japan is often said to be ‘backward’ when it comes to gender issues. According to the UNDP's Gender Empowerment Index, Japan fell from 38th among the world's nations in 1999 to 41st in 2000 (UNDP, 2001). Women made up only 14% of candidates elected to the parliament, or Diet, in the 2000 General Elections. Furthermore, only 3% of senior managers are female, and the average female wage is still less than half that of men. Therefore, Japan continues to be a ‘man's world’ especially in economics and business, exhibiting what have been described as ‘especially elaborate patterns of gender segregation’ (Khor, 1999; Hashimoto, 2001).

Within this context, the building of feminist – or women-centred – politics has been especially challenging. Trends in the development of women's activism in Japan have shown some similarities with those in other parts of the world. There has been considerable interchange of ideas with the US, for example. However, Japanese feminism does have its own clearly defined characteristics (Mackie, 1988, 1999; Buckley, 1994). According to Diane Khor, these are based on a holistic critique of Japanese society and a commitment to valuing women and their perspectives. In other words, the main aim of Japanese feminism has not been to make women more like men but to ensure that the female is given as much respect as the male (Khor, 1999).