1. Women’s Economic Independence
In December 2020, the Cabinet of Japan approved the Fifth Basic Plan for Gender Equality, setting specific performance targets for the promotion and employment of women. Based on the idea that it is important to ensure diversity in the Japanese economy and society and link it to innovation through cross-cutting efforts to strengthen the basis for women's empowerment, Japan has placed "women's economic independence" at the core of its "New Form of Capitalism", an eye-catching policy of the Cabinet. Further efforts will be made to achieve gender equality based on "The Basic Policy on Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women 2022", which addresses prioritized measures for FY 2022 and 2023. Specifically, Japan is taking accelerated action to increase women's income, such as through mandatory corporate disclosure of the gender pay gap, reskilling women for the digitalization, and wage increase in fields such as nursing, caregiving and childcare. Furthermore, the government is striving to promote women's economic independence from various perspectives by incorporating a gender perspective into social security and taxation systems as well as eliminating stereotyped gender roles.

2. Proactive Dissemination of Information on Women's Participation and Advancement
In the second Kishida Cabinet, inaugurated in November 2021, Prime Minister Kishida appointed a Special Advisor to the Prime Minister as the first Advisor on Women's Empowerment. The Kishida administration, including the Minister in Charge of Women’s Empowerment and the Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on Women’s Empowerment, will actively disseminate information on the government's efforts to promote women's empowerment in Japan and abroad, raising awareness of the importance of women's participation, empowerment, and gender equality, as well as the significance and impact of male’s involvement in achieving and promoting them.

3. Further Enhancement of the Partnership with UN Women
Japan has consistently supported, cooperated and collaborated with UN Women. Based on the Fifth Basic Plan for Gender Equality, Japan will continue to maintain and strengthen its partnership with UN Women, particularly in promoting the empowerment of women and girls worldwide through support for various UN Women projects and collaboration in public relations. The Government of Japan, in close cooperation with the UN Women Japan Liaison Office, will strengthen its efforts to publicize and promote UN Women's activities to the Japanese people, including the “HeForShe Movement,” and its wide-ranging activities in the international community.

4. Efforts Toward the End of Conflict-related Sexual Violence
Japan will contribute to ending the culture of impunity surrounding sexual violence and provide support that puts survivors of violence at its center in the peace-building process. Through strengthening partnership with the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and other relevant international organizations, the government will further work on crime prevention by increasing the prosecution of perpetrators while also increasing protection and support for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. The government will also continue to support and actively contribute to the management of the Global Fund for Survivors of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence to help the survivors achieve economic independence and come out of social isolation.

Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office, the Government of Japan