Reimagining Education: Promoting Positive Gender Norms in Japanese School Curricula

For much of his childhood, Mika Yakushi struggled to find himself reflected in the education he received. Throughout his school years, he experienced learning environments where assumptions about gender were deeply embedded in everyday life. School uniforms, attendance lists, physical education classes, toilets, and classroom interactions were all structured around the expectation that everyone fit neatly into one of two categories: male or female.

“I grew up without being able to talk to anyone about it,” Yakushi recalled. “Neither at school nor at home did I have opportunities to learn that people like me existed. I felt that I might not be able to grow up and live as myself.”

Today, Yakushi serves as Chief Operating Officer of ReBit, a Japanese nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a society in which LGBTIQ+ people can live authentically and safely. His personal experiences continue to shape his work advocating for educational environments where all students can learn without fear of exclusion.

While awareness of LGBTIQ+ issues in Japan has increased in recent years, educational inclusion remains uneven. According to research cited by ReBit, nearly 90% of LGBTQ junior and senior high school students reported experiencing some form of difficulty or harassment in school during the previous year. Many incidents involved teachers or school personnel, highlighting the continuing gap between formal recognition and meaningful inclusion. The consequences can extend far beyond the classroom. Experiences of discrimination and invisibility can affect self-esteem, mental health, and a student's ability to participate fully in educational life. Only 31.9% of students had ever told school staff about their sexuality. Among the reasons for not doing so were comments such as, “I did not think I could consult them,” and “I was worried that they might tell other teachers or my parents without my consent.”

One young person reported that, in a junior high school health and physical education class, their teacher clearly stated that “homosexuality is abnormal.” Another young person shared that throughout elementary, junior high, and senior high school health classes, they were taught that “adolescence means becoming attracted to the opposite sex,” and wished they had also learned about LGBTQ people, aromantic people, and asexual people.

For Yakushi, these reports point to a fundamental challenge. “Educational environments influence how young people understand themselves and others,” he explained. “When diversity is absent from what students learn, it becomes difficult for many young people to imagine that they belong.”

Creating Space for Change

To address these challenges, UNESCO with the support of Christian Dior Couture have partnered with organizations across Asia through a five-year initiative, Enhancing LGBTIQ+ inclusive learning spaces in Asia through youth-led transformative actions and partnerships in the education sector.

In Japan, ReBit serves as the implementing partner, working with young people to examine how gender norms operate within educational settings and identify opportunities for change. Rather than approaching inclusion solely through awareness-raising, the project encourages participants to analyze the systems and structures that shape everyday experiences in schools and universities. Through workshops and collaborative activities, participants explored how assumptions about gender appear in curricula, institutional policies, school culture, and social expectations. They were encouraged to consider how these norms influence opportunities, participation, and belonging.

One of the most important outcomes, according to Yakushi, was helping young people recognize that many of the difficulties they encounter are not individual problems. Many participants began to reframe their experiences from ‘personal struggles’ into ‘structural issues.’ This shift created opportunities for participants to move from simply identifying problems toward imagining solutions.

Another lesson learned was that SOGIE is not something that belongs only to certain ‘minority’ group. SOGIE belongs to everyone, and we all needs opportunities to learn about it as something connected to their own life. This perspective was also central to the gender norms analysis sessions: LGBTIQ+ inclusion is not only about supporting an exclusive group of people, it is foundational in ensuring that everyone’s sexuality, gender, body, relationships, and way of life are respected.

Across different educational settings, young people developed initiatives aimed at making their schools and universities more inclusive. Some focused on creating opportunities for dialogue, while others sought to improve access to information and support. At Tohoku University, participants developed campus guidelines and educational materials designed to support conversations around sexuality and gender diversity. The initiative was later recognized with the university’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award.

For Yakushi, such examples demonstrate the value of trusting young people to lead. “When young people are given opportunities to examine issues critically and develop their own responses, they often create solutions that are closely connected to the realities of their communities,” he asserted.

Progress Forward: Beyond Representation

Progress has been made in Japan. References to sexual diversity are becoming more visible in educational materials. Yet greater visibility alone does not automatically translate into inclusive learning environments. According to ReBit's research, relatively few teachers receive formal training on sexual diversity issues. As a result, many educators report uncertainty about how to respond when students seek support related to gender identity or sexual orientation. Yakushi believes this represents one of the most important areas for future action. “Students spend a significant part of their lives in educational environments,” he noted. “Teachers and schools therefore play a critical role in shaping whether students feel safe and supported.”

For ReBit, meaningful inclusion requires moving beyond symbolic representation toward systemic change. This includes strengthening teacher training, improving educational resources, and ensuring that discussions about gender diversity become integrated into learning rather than treated as exceptional topics. The organization also continues advocating for the inclusion of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) within national curriculum frameworks. Such changes, Yakushi argues, would benefit not only LGBTIQ+ students but all learners. “When students are exposed to diverse perspectives, they gain a broader understanding of society and develop greater empathy for others,” he reflected.

The UNESCO–Dior initiative has demonstrated the potential of youth-led action to contribute to educational transformation. By supporting young people to analyze gender norms, identify challenges, and develop solutions, the project has shown that students can play an active role in shaping the environments in which they learn.

For Yakushi, this remains one of the most hopeful aspects of the work. Throughout the project, he witnessed young people engage deeply with questions of inclusion, challenge assumptions that had long gone unquestioned, and develop practical ideas for change within their own communities. Their efforts reflect a broader vision of education—not simply as the transmission of knowledge, but as a space where every student can develop a sense of dignity, belonging, and possibility.

Across Japan, educators, advocates, and students continue working toward that goal. Their efforts may take different forms, but they share a common aspiration: educational environments where diversity is not merely acknowledged, but valued as an essential part of learning and community.