THE MAINICHI


 

 
 
TOKYO -- The Japan Business Federation (Keidanren), the country's powerful business lobby group, is teaming up with an international group to try and boost the number of female executives at major companies in the country.
 
Keidanren exchanged a memorandum on Dec. 18 with the Japanese office of the "30% Club," which was launched in Britain in 2010 to improve the status of women at the workplace. The organization has now spread to over 14 countries and regions.

The Japanese chapter of the 30% Club was established in May this year with a goal of raising to 30% the ratio of female directors at major companies listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. A total of 46 heads of big firms and universities are members of the Japanese arm of the club.

The memorandum exchange ceremony was held between 30% Club Japan President Masahiko Uotani, who also serves as the president of cosmetic manufacturer Shiseido Japan Co., and Keidanren's Chair of Committee on Diversity Yasuyoshi Karasawa, who is also the president of MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, Inc. They agreed to cooperate in exchanging information, organizing events, sharing materials with the media and other areas.

The administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has set a target of raising the ratio of women among board members on listed companies to 10% by 2020 but as of the end of July this year it stood at a mere 5.2%.
(Japanese original by Takayuki Hakamada, Business News Department)