JABAR EKSPRES – The G7 group countries pledged Sunday (6/25) to take measures to eliminate the gender economic gap by strengthening women’s empowerment, while recognizing the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the equality of men and women.
In a joint statement issued after a two-day meeting in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, the G7 gender equality ministers also agreed to continue working toward a society that respects the human rights and dignity of sexual minorities.
The ministers called unpaid care and domestic work – which are disproportionately assigned to women – a “major obstacle” to “women’s economic empowerment by impeding their ability to work full-time or in leadership positions,” according to the statement.
Technology and flexible working hours can be used as a means to change the imbalance, it continued.
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“The full, equal and meaningful participation of women in decision-making at all levels is a matter of human rights and also benefits everyone by contributing to better economic, social and political outcomes,” it added.
Ministers from the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States plus the European Union called the pandemic a “serious setback” to achieving a gender-equal society.
“We reaffirm our commitment to accelerate our efforts towards full gender equality and further empower all women and girls,” the statement said.
For sexual minorities, the G7 ministers said that the rights and safety of LGBT people are “under threat in many countries.”
The meeting, which was also attended by members from international civic groups, was chaired by Japan’s Minister of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Masanobu Ogura.
Japan is often slammed for lagging behind other G7 countries in this area.
A survey by the World Economic Forum showed Japan’s gender gap ranking in 2023 reached an all-time low, ranking 125th out of 146 countries. This is the lowest position among the G7 countries and the East Asia and Pacific region.
