Share of Female Execs at Major Japan Firms Rises to 18.4 Pct

Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–The proportion of female executives at companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s top-tier Prime section stood at 18.4 pct as of July 1, up 2.3 percentage points from a year earlier, a survey by the Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, showed Thursday. Still, the figure remains below the government’s target of at least 19 pct by 2025 and at least 30 pct by 2030. In particular, the proportion of in-house female executives was just 2.2 pct, highlighting challenges over women’s careers. Among Prime-listed Keidanren member companies alone, the proportion of female executives rose by 2.2 points to 19.0 pct, reaching the government’s interim target. The survey covered 1,625 Prime-listed companies, including 712 members of the business lobby. Most female executives at the surveyed companies were not employees of the companies. “Some companies have introduced mentorship systems in which executives guide female executive candidates to raise their management awareness,” said Yoshihisa Masaki, director of Keidanren’s social communication division, adding, “We hope to actively share these cases.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]