赤松良子氏死去、９４歳　元文相、均等法制定に尽力

　労働省局長時代に男女雇用機会均等法の制定に尽力して「均等法の母」と呼ばれ、細川、羽田両内閣で文部相を務めた赤松良子（あかまつ・りょうこ）氏が死去したことが分かった。赤松氏が会長を務める日本ユニセフ協会が７日、発表した。９４歳だった。大阪府出身。後日、お別れの会を開く。
　東大法卒。１９５３年労働省（現厚生労働省）に入り、山梨労働基準局長や国連政府代表部公使などを歴任。婦人局長時代に雇用における男女平等の実現を図る男女雇用機会均等法の立案に携わり、８５年の国会成立まで中心的役割を担った。
　ウルグアイ大使を経て退官後、９３年８月発足の細川政権で民間出身の文部相に就任。その後の羽田内閣でも留任し、９４年６月まで務めた。
　女性の政治参画やリーダー育成にも積極的で、女性政治家や候補者を支援する「赤松政経塾」や選挙で男女の候補者数を均等にすることを目指す「クオータ制を推進する会（Ｑの会）」も主宰した。２００３年に旭日大綬章を受章。０８年から日本ユニセフ協会の会長。著書に「均等法をつくる」など。（2024/02/07-18:34）

Former education minister Ryoko Akamatsu, who played a key role in the enactment of Japan's equal employment opportunity law, has died at 94.
   Her death was announced Wednesday by the Japan Committee for UNICEF, of which she served as chairwoman.
   Akamatsu helped create the law to ensure gender equality in employment during her years as an official at the former Labor Ministry. She later served as education minister under prime ministers Morihiro Hosokawa and Tsutomu Hata in the 1990s.
   The native of Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, joined the ministry, currently the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, in 1953. She served in positions such as head of a prefectural labor standards office and ambassador to the United Nations.
   At the former Labor Ministry, Akamatsu played a central role in the enactment of the equal employment opportunity law, from its drafting to its parliamentary passage in 1985.