A new MOU to propel gender equality across Japan
UN Women signs an MOU for the first time with a Japanese public interest incorporated association.Date:
[Joint press release]
Toyama, Japan — Today, UN Women and Junior Chamber International Japan (JCI Japan) have concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the acceleration of gender equality nationwide in Japan through the advancement of the HeForShe solidarity movement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The goal of MOU is to achieve the SDGs in Japan by 2030. The primary focus is on the SDG 5, ‘Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.’ The MOU promotes concerted effort for raising awareness of the importance of gender equality and women’s empowerment across the country and jointly promoting HeForShe, including increasing the number of commitments in the movement.
“JCI-Japan has nearly 700 local chapters all over Japan and in every prefecture, with over 30,000 members, notably comprising many young professionals and leaders, who have strong networks with different stakeholders in their local communities,” said Kae Ishikawa, Director of UN Women Japan Liaison Office. “We have decided to sign the MOU based on their strong outreach that would bring rippling effects to the local communities across Japan, as already demonstrated in the past collaboration with us towards the realization of the SDGs, among others, the Goal 5. We expect the MOU will accelerate HeForShe and contribute to raising awareness of gender equality.”
“JCI-Japan has promoted HeForShe this year, in line with one of our three focuses in the annual plan of action, personal commitment. Around 8,000 people from Japan had committed to HeForShe in Japan at the beginning of our involvement, which helped reach over 30,000 by mid-September and Japan changed the activity level of HeForShe from ‘Low’ to ‘High’ in the HeForShe global map,” said Takeaki Kamada, Chairperson, Junior Chamber International Japan. “This MOU has been made to accelerate HeForShe further across the country by the concerted effort of the two organizations not only in this year but also next year and beyond.”
Media contact:
Tomohiro Iwabuchi, Gender Project Manager
UN Women Japan Liaison Office |Email: japan.liaison@unwomen.org
About UN Women
UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, is a global champion for women and girls, established to accelerates progress on meeting their needs worldwide. The United Nations General Assembly created UN Women in July 2010, as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. The creation of UN Women merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system, which focused exclusively on gender equality and women’s empowerment.
UN Women supports UN Member States as they set global standards for achieving gender equality, and works with governments and civil society to design laws, policies, programmes and services needed to ensure that the standards are effectively implemented and truly benefit women and girls worldwide. It works globally to make the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals a reality for women and girls and stands behind women’s equal participation in all aspects of life.
UN Women Japan Liaison Office was established in 2015 at the Bunkyo ward in Tokyo to enhance strategic partnerships for policy dialogue, advocacy, and resource mobilization.
URL: https://japan.unwomen.org
Junior Chamber International Japan (JCI Japan)
The basic foundations of the Jaycee movement in Japan were first laid in 1949, by young active citizens determined to help raise the economy from the ashes of postwar Japan, and the movement spread rapidly throughout the country. Following its establishment, in 1951, Junior Chamber International Japan (JCI Japan), based in Tokyo, was officially affiliated with Junior Chamber International (JCI).
Since it was founded JCI Japan has aimed to build a bright and prosperous society, through community and personal development. All activities are carried out based on the three principles of Training, Service and Fellowship, and the members promote and carry out projects based on these principles.
Furthermore, as a member of JCI, JCI Japan engages in various activities globally, partnering with other JCIs of different countries.
JCI Japan set one basic requirement for being its member: one must be between 20 and 40 years of age. There are approximately 700 Local Organizations with over 30,000 active members and JCI Japan is divided into 10 Districts and 47 Bloc Councils, all working in close cooperation with one another to promote the Jaycee movement nationwide. The members engage in a wide range of industries, including primary, secondary tertiary industries. Almost 90 percent of all members have senior positions such as board directors and managers, and approximately 80 percent of all members are founders or successors of businesses, who nurture strong connections with their local communities.
URL: http://www15.jaycee.or.jp/en
HeForShe
Created by UN Women in 2014, the HeForShe solidarity movement for gender equality provides a systematic approach and targeted platform where a global audience can engage and become change agents for the achievement of gender equality in our lifetime. HeForShe invites people around the world to stand together as equal partners to craft a shared vision of a gender equal world and implement specific, locally relevant solutions for the good of all of humanity. As of October 2019, more than 36,000 in Japan and more than 2.1 million people worldwide have made commitments to HeForShe.