GENEVA ¨C Despite efforts in recent years to encourage more parity between men and women, the gender gap in Japan is widening. As the world recognizes International Women¡¯s Day 2020 on Sunday, it¡¯s an important moment to take stock of what¡¯s holding the country back and how it can move forward to gender equality in the decade ahead.
According to the World Economic Forum¡¯s Global Gender Gap Report 2020, Japan ranks 121st out of 153 countries in terms of gender parity, a decline of 11 places compared to its ranking a year before, when it ranked 110th, and a decline of 41 places compared to the 2006 report, the first year of the index, when it ranked 80th. Based on the current ranking, Japan¡¯s gender gap is the largest among advanced economies.
The government has attempted to increase gender parity in recent years. In 2013, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged to create ¡°a Japan in which women can shine,¡± outlining a ¡°womenomics strategy¡± where 30 percent of leadership positions in society would be filled by women in 2020.
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