Among the migrant women of Japan, most international students and technical intern trainees are in their reproductive years, between the ages of 15 and 49. Nevertheless, they are warned not to become pregnant during their contracts; otherwise, they will be forced to return home. Consequently, these women have to abort any unintended pregnancy via self-medication, to give birth without legal status for their child, or rear their children without any support from the government. This study aims to clarify the issues related to these pregnancies, based on a literature review and interviews with women who have been in this situation and their supporters. The study highlights the gap between international norms related to sexual and reproductive health and rights, international migration policies, and those of the Japanese government. In contrast with the trainees who are under the protection of labor-related laws, pregnant students are protected by no laws. Therefore, it is more difficult for them to consult the staff members of their schools when this situation occurs. At the same time, they are more likely to become pregnant in Japan because of the limited access to contraceptive options. This preliminary study concludes with policy recommendations and suggestions for further research to address these problems, not only for migrants but also for all women in Japan.

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The purpose of this study is to clarify how female officers find value in their work at a women’s prison and avoid leaving these positions prematurely. Five female officers at a women’s prison sat for individual semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach. The results produced 24 concepts, which were divided into five categories. They also showed four stages of a process through which female officers find self-worth while working at a prison. If newly hired female officers working at women’s prisons receive appropriate career development training based on finding their worth as a corrections officer, they are more likely to pursue a career and become a successful officer, rather than resigning from the position prematurely.

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Gender equality has experienced a paradigm shift since the 1990s. Gender equality is positioned as an important issue in global society, and countries are required to make drastic changes in order to close gender disparities. France and Sweden adopt different approaches to promote gender equality. France uses positive action, while Sweden adopts gender mainstreaming. This paper explores how and why France and Sweden use different approaches to promote gender equality before and after the paradigm shift of gender equality. Research methods of this paper include document research and interviews held in these two countries. Interviewees are those who have been involved in the promotion of gender equality in France and Sweden, such as activists, politicians, members of political parties, femocrats, and scholars. France has made significant progress by using positive action. Sweden reached a high level of gender equality before the paradigm shift. However, gender equality in Sweden has stagnated in recent years due to difficulties of implementing gender mainstreaming.

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