Global Efforts to Close Gender Gap “Precarious”: UN Women Chief

Tokyo, Feb. 2 (Jiji Press)–Global progress in eliminating gender inequality has been “precarious,” while Japan can play a meaningful role in advancing equality, UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous has said in a recent written interview with Jiji Press. “We see real gains in women’s leadership, girls’ education and legal reforms, yet they are colliding with a global backlash, shrinking civic space, rising violence and deep funding cuts that undermine hard-won progress,” Bahous said. “We are seeing a stacking of crises that is deepening long-standing inequalities in poverty, hunger, child marriage and violence,” she added, citing conflicts and climate change as major factors behind the retrogression. She especially voiced concern over “technology-facilitated abuse,” including the spread of sexual deepfakes made with generative artificial intelligence, and called on governments and companies to adopt measures against it. Japan placed 118th among 148 countries in the World Economic Forum’s gender equality rankings last year. “Japan has established a solid foundation for gender equality in key aspects of life” as the country ranks high in gender equality in the fields of education and health, the executive director said. “By building on its strong foundation, and by working collaboratively across government, business and society, Japan can…continue to play a meaningful leadership role on gender equality, both domestically and internationally.” Regarding the country’s low rankings in the fields of politics and the economy, Bahous noted the inauguration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi as Japan’s first female leader, which the UN Women chief said “represents an important milestone and sends a strong signal about the direction in which Japan can move.” “Advancing gender equality in politics and the economy will require sustained effort and close multi-sector collaboration,” Bahous said, underscoring the need for governments to promote related policies and for the private sector to foster inclusive workplaces. She emphasized the importance of tackling gender inequality by engaging people regardless of their age or gender, and noted that gender equality offers benefits to society as a whole. UN Women, established in 2011, aims to eliminate gender disparities in all areas by 2030. According to the United Nations, gender gaps in literacy rates and primary education completion rates have drastically narrowed in the past two decades. But addressing disparities in employment opportunities and housework burdens has been difficult, and discriminatory customs, such as child marriage, remain deeply rooted in some countries. Bahous visited Japan last December at the invitation of the Japanese government, and met with Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi as well as lawmakers and corporate executives. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]