APEC Second Ministerial Meeting on Women
Message from the Chief Cabinet Secretary and the Minister
for Gender Equality, Yasuo Fukuda
Saturday, September 28, 2002
Guadalajara, Mexico
As Minister for Gender Equality in Japan, I extend to you my sincere respects on the occasion of the opening of this APEC Second Ministerial Meeting on Women.
Japan has made great strides in recent years on women's and gender-equality issues. In 1999, the Government of Japan enacted the Basic Law for a Gender-Equal Society to comprehensively systematize its policies. Japan has taken strong action on institutional and structural aspects as well, and is working vigorously towards the formation of a gender-equal society.
Japan currently ranks 9th out of 173 countries on the United Nations Development Program's Human Development Index (HDI), yet is only 32nd out of 66 countries on the Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM). While we cannot be satisfied with this situation, we are optimistic that the figure will improve as we consider the way in which opportunities for women in Japanese society are rapidly expanding.
Japan highly regards the various activities for gender integration that the Senior Officials' Meeting Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Gender Integration (AGGI), which was established following the 1998 first APEC Ministerial Meeting on Women, has taken over the past three years. I have high expectations that APEC economies will utilize this Meeting to build upon those successes and to deepen cooperation among themselves.
The theme of this meeting, "Advancing Women's Economic Interests and Opportunities in the New Economy," not only offers women greater economic opportunities and an expanded role in society, it also raises the new challenge of bridging the digital divide.
Japan is currently implementing its "e-Japan Strategy" to become one of the world's leading information technology nations. As the new economy appropriately manifests its role as an "engine of growth" in the APEC economies, we are undertaking various measures to ensure that such blessings accrue to all, including women. More concretely, we can speak of fostering IT-related human resources throughout the region, as well as supporting the establishment of computer emergency response teams. Furthermore, Japan has proposed an Asia Broadband Program, and has begun examining how the whole of Asia can become the world's information hub.
It is profoundly meaningful that this Meeting will discuss the promotion of the participation of the women of the APEC economies in the New Economy and the great contributions they can make to the world. I offer you my heartfelt wishes for the success of this Meeting.
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