Women accounts for only some 2% of civil engineers in Japan and that is significantly small compared to the engineers of other fields, or the target “30% by 2020” set by the government. However, supports for women civil engineers in Japan first began in the 1980s and is now expanding to the private firms. In this study, the statistics of women civil engineers are grasped at first. Then the activities by firms, academic societies and organization of women civil engineers are reviewed to further discuss the possibility and challenges. Conclusion includes the importance of 30-year dedication by the self-help groups of women civil engineers, and the need of awareness and leadership by the top management for effectively supporting women civil engineers.
