Women’s Empowerment in Japan

NEW YORK, May 3, 2016 — Masako Mori, a member of Japan’s Diet and former Minister for Gender Equality, discusses economic and societal barriers Japanese women face in the workplace, the status of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s “Womenomics” agenda, and women’s participation in emergency preparation in the wake of the Fukushima crisis. Asia Society Policy Institute Vice President Wendy Cutler moderates the discussion. (54 min., 25 sec.)

Breakfast at 8:00 AM; Discussion from 8:30 AM

Please join the Asia Society Policy Institute for a breakfast discussion on Women’s Empowerment in Japan featuring Masako Mori, a member of Japan’s Diet and former Minister for Gender Equality in a moderated conversation with Wendy Cutler, Vice President of the Asia Society Policy Institute. 

Throughout her career in government, Ms. Mori has been a strong advocate for the active participation of women in the Japanese economy. With the launch of “Womenomics” in 2013, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appointed Ms. Mori as Minister of State for Gender Equality, a role she served in for almost 2 years. In the wake of the March 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, Ms. Mori served as the director of the committee tasked with rebuilding her native Fukushima prefecture. She was integral in encouraging the participation of women in emergency preparedness protocols which she notes as one of the reasons why Japan was not ready for the disaster of 3/11. She has successfully advocated changes to those protocols since then.

Ms. Mori will discuss the economic and societal barriers Japanese women face in the workplace, the status of Prime Minister Abe’s “Womenomics” agenda, and her work in furthering the role of women’s participation in emergency preparation in the wake of the Fukushima crisis.

This event is by invitation only, but if you are interested in attending, please email policyinstitute@asiasociety.org.

Speakers:

Masako Mori is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and a member of the House of Councillors in the Japanese Diet. She currently serves as the Chairperson of Environment Division of the Policy Research Board of the LDP. In 2012, Ms. Mori was named to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s second Cabinet where she served as Minister for the Support for Women’s Empowerment and Child-Rearing, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety, Minister of State for the Declining Birthrate, and Minister of State for Gender Equality. In 2007, she entered the Upper House and was Vice Chairwoman of the LDP's judicial committee and chairwoman of the Upper House Committee on Oversight of Administration. She passed the bar examination in 1992 and registered as a lawyer in 1995 after the completion of her training at the Judicial Research and Training Institute of Japan.
 

Wendy Cutler (Chair) is Vice President of ASPI and Managing Director of Asia Society’s Washington D.C. Office. She joined ASPI following nearly three decades as a diplomat and negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). Most recently she served as Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, working on a range of U.S. trade negotiations and initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region. In that capacity she was responsible for the just-concluded Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, including the bilateral negotiations with Japan.