'Gender-free' hard to define, harder to sell
The Japan Times, The Japan Times: Feb. 1, 2006
...the ruling Liberal Democratic Party said it has received 3,500 reports of alleged "gender-free" activities that were deemed problematic....
...According to the LDP's Web site, schools have had fifth-graders of both sexes share the same sleeping quarters on trips and conducted sex education classes using dolls with sex organs, drawing complaints for being too radical. The Tokyo government also claimed teachers had male and female students undergo medical checkups together....
...Since the Basic Law for a Gender-Equal Society was enacted in 1999, adherents to the patriarchal system have opposed the movement, Wakakuwa of Chiba University said..... conservative Japanese may blame women, especially women's studies scholars and feminist activists, for the collapse of family values and for Japan's declining birthrate...more...
