About GEAHSS
The Japanese Political Science Association officially joined the Gender Equality Association for Humanities and Social Sciences (GEAHSS) in 2023. Since GEAHSS’s establishment in 2017, JPSA had participated as an observer but have now decided to become a formal member to further promote the participation of female researchers within our association.
As of December 29, 2023, GEAHSS is comprised of 72 academic associations in the humanities and social sciences. GEAHSS is engaged in (1) sharing best practices related to gender equality within academic associations, (2) surveying, publishing, and analyzing gender statistics within academic associations, and (3) organizing symposiums approximately once a year.
The establishment and operation of GEAHSS have been supported by the First Section of the Science Council of Japan’s Multidisciplinary Subcommittee on Gender (2011-2014) and the Committee on Gender (2015-2023), which have encouraged collaboration among academic associations.
In 2020, the Japanese Political Science Association’s “Working Group on the Participation of Women Researchers in the Association” submitted its final report, which analyzed the participation of women in the association and recommended necessary reforms. As a result, initiatives such as providing childcare services at conferences and strengthening anti-harassment measures have been implemented. These efforts should be shared as best practices within GEAHSS, and our association should continue to learn from the initiatives of other academic associations to drive further improvements. We expect our membership in GEAHSS to enhance collaboration with other humanities and social sciences associations.
GEAHSS was established to promote gender equality in academic associations but also aligns with broader efforts to enhance diversity, including supporting early-career researchers and providing reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. By joining GEAHSS, the Japanese Political Science Association aims to advance gender equality and diversity within our community, contributing to the growth of research, and fostering cooperation among political science researchers, consistent with our mission (Article 3 of the JPSA bylaws).