Kyoto Women’s University celebrated the 100th anniversary in 2020.

Kyoto Girls’ High School, which is the foundation of our university, was established through the conviction and passion for female higher education exhibited by Wariko Kai, Kazuko Ōtani, Takeko Kujō, and members of the Buddhist Women’s Association. Carrying on the dying wish of Kazuko Ōtani to establish a university for women, in 1912 Takeko Kujō published the “Prospectus for Founding a Women’s University” and the Nishi Hongwanji temple applied to the Ministry of Education. This application was rejected without the rational reasons, ,so the Kyoto Women’s Technical College was founded instead of it.

Although the Meiji Civil Code enacted in 1898 absolutely excluded women fromthe legal rights, these three women motivated by their passion for education led to the creation of an institute of higher education for women.

After World War II, Kyoto Women’s University started with the Faculty of Letters and the Faculty of Home Economics; according to social and economic changes in the late 20th century, it developed into a comprehensive women’s university by adding the faculties of Contemporary Society, Human Development and Education, and even Law—which was the first and only Faculty of Law for a women’s universities (in Japan)—as it aimed to cultivate women leaders capable of supporting Japanese society.

In Japan, which still suffers from significant gender disparity, the educational environment of a women’s university where students can relax and act like themselves without worrying about how they are viewed by men is extremely important for women’s personal development.

Toward our next 100 years, we have formulated Grand Vision and confirmed the societal role of women’s universities as higher education institution. The goals of that vision are: 1) to contribute toachievinggender equality, 2) to prompte SDGs in both our education and research, 3) to facilitate the recorrent educational program for maturedr women, 4) to set up the Asian Center for Gender Equality Studies cooperately with universities in Asia.,
It is a common recognition worldwide by now that reducing gender disparity not only solves problems at the individual lifestyle level but also contributes greatly to societal innovation and economic development. Many countries have already proven that women’s participation in various fields in the same way as men, especially in the area of decision-making, contributes to the development of societies.

We encourage our students to envision their dreams for the future without fitting into the framework of gender value. Achieving gender equality will create a harmonious society, not just for women but for all people. We believe that increasing female leaders is essential.

Even amidst the absolute system of male domination that existed at the end of the Meiji period, our university was able to be founded thanks to women who were passionate about establishing an institute of higher education for women. We wish to succeed the aspirations of three women to the next generation and nurture women with a can-do spirit through our educationt. While treasuring the traditions cultivated over a long history, we will move forward to the next 100 years toward the creation of a new era.