The conference, held on May 23–25, 2001, in Chiba, Japan, aimed at promoting the inclusion of a gender perspective in policy-setting and decision-making processes and finding ways for women and men of Asia and Europe to work together toward more suitable social and economic systems coping with a changing environment. Because there has been little direct contact between Europe and Asia on the topic of gender that considers both the Asian and European ways of tackling this issue and the cultural influences behind each society, this dialogue offered the possibilities of discovering and sharing new visions and finding new perspectives.