Abstract
The purpose of the study is to show the meaning of the conflict inside the women’s movement over the amendment of the Labour Standards Law in 1970-80s Japan. This is discussed in terms of the pitfalls inherent in coexistence of “protection” and “equality”. From 1978 to 1985, there were two currents in Japanese women’s movement. One sought both the “protection of female workers” and “sexual equality in employment” while the other refused both. The debate was confrontational. The points of confrontation were (1) the recognition of class difference between female workers and (2) the degree of criticism with respect to the disposition to which legislation represented the logic of the government and the business world. The result of movement that sought sexual equality in employment appeared as the Equal Employment Opportunity Law in 1985. It disappointed most women who had been involved with the movement. The analysis of the background of the 1985 law is the base for a discussion of current thinking about how the movement should be continued in the context of contemporary labor conditions.
