Japan's Progress and Challenges in Women's Leadership and Employment
In October 2025, Sanae Takaichi became Japan's first female prime minister, a milestone hailed for women's leadership but accompanied by concerns regarding the limitations posed by conservative policies.
Despite this advancement, Japan ranks 118th out of 148 nations on the World Economic Forum Gender Gap Index for the year, the lowest among OECD countries.
The Japanese government initially aimed to have women hold 30% of leadership roles by 2020; however, this target was quietly extended to 2030. Currently, women hold only 11.1% of business leadership positions.
On a more positive note, the female employment rate for ages 15 to 64 stands at approximately 77% this year, exceeding the OECD average since the early 2010s and higher than the US rate of 70%.
Policy interventions have been introduced to support working mothers, including efforts to reduce nursery waiting lists to facilitate earlier returns to work.
Initiatives to empower female entrepreneurs include the WPower fund by MPower Partners, Japan's first female-led venture capital firm. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government contributed half the capital, matched by the private sector. Despite this, the venture capital landscape remains clubby and male-dominated, creating barriers for female founders in access and information.
Harassment remains a significant problem; a 2024 survey revealed that over half of female entrepreneurs have experienced harassment. In response, a government survey launched in August 2025 seeks to assess the scope of this issue.
The Startup Lady initiative offers a safe space for female founders, collaborating with the Tokyo government on talks and mentoring. The events attract many non-Japanese women, highlighting a shortage of role models.
In academia, gender disparity persists in STEM fields. At Tokyo University, only 20% of undergraduate STEM students are women. The UTokyo Gender Equity #WeChange campaign aims to increase female faculty from 16% in 2022 to 25% by 2027, supported by subsidies for new female hires. Currently, female faculty represent around 18%.
