U.N. panel member implores Japan to address gender equality

Hiroko Akizuki, a member of the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, called on Japan to create dedicated parliamentary and government bodies to confront the country’s entrenched gender inequality.

“Japanese people should face reality,” Akizuki said in a recent interview, referring to Japan’s ranking 118th among 148 economies in the Global Gender Gap Index.

The index is compiled annually by the Switzerland-based nonprofit World Economic Forum. In the most recent 2025 edition, Japan placed last among advanced economies, with political participation showing the starkest imbalance.