Women's Empowerment and Gender Equality

This conference is one of the efforts to realize gender equality and women’s empowerment, continue to be one of the priority issues of the Government of Japan. Having many leading figures from all over the world in the conference, we had lively discussions on various women's issues including women’s empowerment. WAW! is a platform of discussion about gender-related issues.

• World Assembly for Women: WAW! 2022 (June 29, 2022)

In recent years, the international community has placed greater emphasis on gender mainstreaming, which aims to reflect a gender perspective in all policies and systems.

The perspective of gender mainstreaming will lead to the creation of a virtuous cycle of growth and distribution, which is the linchpin of the “New Form of Capitalism” proposed by the Kishida Administration, in a way that diversity generates further growth, and the benefits from that growth would be redistributed to the population with consideration for the rights of all people, including women. To achieve this, I have put women's economic independence at the core of the "New Form of Capitalism" policy.

With this idea in mind, we set the main theme of WAW!2022 as "WAW! for Mainstreaming Gender into a New Form of Capitalism." We also set up diverse breakout sessions on topics, including relief for women from the COVID-19 pandemic and women under conflicts and disasters, and the role of men.

On 3 December 2022, WAW!2022 will be held for the first time in nearly three years, welcoming participants from around the world to discuss challenges women are facing and share their countries' efforts to resolve these issues. We hope to achieve the economic growth and peace established with a diverse and inclusive society in Japan and throughout the world.

Let us take a new and powerful step together toward the realization of a peaceful and prosperous society in which every person can feel fulfilled, take on challenges, play an active role, and live their own life.

KISHIDA Fumio
Prime Minister of Japan

• WAW!2022 Report (English (PDF) / Japanese (PDF) )
• WAW! 2022 Tokyo Declaration “Mainstreaming Gender into a New Form of Capitalism” Summary of Recommendations from Participants of WAW! (PDF)
• World Assembly for Women: WAW! 2022 (Result)
• Dinner for World Assembly for Women: WAW! 2022 Hosted by Prime Minister Kishida (Result)

• Date: December 3 (Sat), 2022

Program・Links for the live stream

9:00-9:15	Opening Remarks by Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio	English Channel
9:15-9:45	Keynote speeches “Mainstreaming Gender into a New Form of Capitalism Guðni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON, President of the Republic of Iceland Sima BAHOUS, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UN Women	English Channelannel
9:45-10:45	High-Level Roundtable “Mainstreaming Gender into a New Form of Capitalism”	English Channel
11:15-12:45	Session 1: Gender Wage Gap	English Channel
	Session 2: Women and Environment/Green Society - Decarbonization from a Gender Perspective	English Channel
	Session 3: Women and Digital/STEM Education	English Channel
	Session 4: Enhancing Awareness and Engagement of Men	English Channel
	Session 5 Women’s participation in Decision-Making Processes	English Channel
	Special Session1: WAW! sit-in-a-circle meeting on Rural Women	Japanese Channel only
14:30-16:00	Session 6: Women and Startups - What it Means for Women to Start a Business	English Channel
	Session 7: Realizing a Society Protecting Women’s Dignity and Pride	English Channel
	Session 8: Women’s health and Economy	English Channel
	Session 9: Women’s Participation in Peace and Security	English Channel
	Session 10: Women and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)	English Channel
	Special Session2-1: Listening to the Voice of Youth: Proposal for the future	English Channel
	Special Session2-2: Listening to the Voice of Youth: Proposal for the future	English Channel
16:20-17:10	Closing session (Sharing outcomes of each session)	English Channel
17:10-17:20	Closing remarks	English Channel

We designated from October 3, 2022 to February 5, 2023 as "WAW! Weeks"! We invited those who would be organizing gender-related events (any form) which generate movements for gender equality and women’s empowerment to register with us to have your events recognized as an official side event for WAW! Weeks.

• WAW!2022 official side events
• Call for official side events for "WAW! Weeks"

• Meeting between Foreign Minister Mr. HAYASHI Yoshimasa and Secretary General of the Council of Europe Ms. Marija Pejčinović Burić (December 3, 2022)
• Japan-Moldova Summit Meeting (December 3, 2022)
• Meeting between Prime Minister Kishida and H.E. Mr. Gudni Thorlacius Johannesson, President of the Republic of Iceland (December 3, 2022)

• 5th WAW!
• Digest of the 5th WAW!
• Official Side Events 2019

Gender Mainstreaming Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
TEL: +81-(0)3-3580-3311