U.N. Panel Urges Japan to Strengthen Gender Equality Measures

Tokyo – A member of the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has implored Japan to take more decisive action to address its persistent gender inequality, calling for the establishment of dedicated parliamentary and government bodies to tackle the issue. The call comes as Japan continues to lag behind other advanced economies in gender parity.

Japan’s Ranking in Global Gender Gap Index

Hiroko Akizuki, a member of the U.N. Committee, emphasized the demand for Japan to “face reality” regarding its standing in the Global Gender Gap Index. The most recent 2025 edition of the index, compiled annually by the Switzerland-based nonprofit World Economic Forum, ranked Japan 118th among 148 economies.

Political Participation as a Key Obstacle

Akizuki, who is also a professor at Asia University, highlighted that the political sector is a primary impediment to gender equality in Japan. The 2025 Global Gender Gap Index revealed that political participation represents the starkest imbalance in Japan’s gender equality efforts, placing the nation last among advanced economies in this category.

International Convention and Obligations

Akizuki referenced the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, often referred to as the “world’s constitution for women,” adopted by the United Nations in 1979. Japan is one of the 189 parties that have ratified the convention, obligating the country to achieve “substantive equality” between women and men by revising domestic laws and policies that conflict with the treaty.

Call for Dedicated Bodies

The U.N. Panel member specifically urged the creation of dedicated parliamentary and government bodies to confront the entrenched gender inequality within Japan. This call for structural change underscores the urgency of addressing the systemic barriers that continue to hinder progress towards gender parity.