Empowering Women in Japanese Boardrooms: Achieving 30% Female Representation by 2030

2023-06-06 12:29:22

(Xinhua file photo: A woman wearing a face mask walks at a train station in Tokyo. Capital of Japan, Oct. 30, 2020)

TOKYO, June 6 (Xinhua) — The Japanese government on Monday set a target for women to hold at least 30 percent of board members in the country’s top listed companies by 2030. It is part of an initial package of policies aimed at improving gender equality.

The draft policy Issued by the Council for Gender Equality of the Cabinet Office of Japan. And is scheduled for approval by the government by the end of June. The objective is to certify that leading Japanese listed companies Especially in the prime market (Prime Market) of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. There will be at least one female board member by around 2025.

The bureau said that Japanese companies in the prime About 18.7 percent of the market has no female board members. As of the end of July 2022, only 2.2 percent of companies had more than 30 percent of women in leadership positions, with the government planning to boost these companies through the Tokyo Stock Exchange. In order to implement various regulations by the year 2023

The draft policy also emphasized the importance of allowing male workers to take parental leave. and suggested setting up a system to support families so that income could be maintained even though working hours were reduced until their child is 2 years old.

Another important component of the draft policy is the improvement of measures to protect women from sexual harassment and other forms of violence. both within the relationship and from other sources. Along with implementing initiatives to prevent harassment in the workplace.

Japanese local media reported that Japan ranks 104 out of 190 countries and regions. In a report on economic opportunities for women released by the World Bank in March, it ranked 116 out of more than 140 countries and regions in the gender gap rankings compiled by the World Economic Forum 2022.

Japan’s health ministry said the number of newborns in Japan fell for the seventh year in a row in 2022, reaching a record low. It was below 800,000 for the first time since records began in 1899.