[Title] Video Message from Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio on International Women's Day

Hello, everyone. I am Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio.

March 8 is International Women's Day, as the United Nations declared in 1975. I once more express my respect and appreciation for the cooperation and contribution provided by the people of Japan and the world who are actively working for women's empowerment and gender equality. I wish to celebrate this day together with all of you.

Women's empowerment and gender equality contribute to sustainable socioeconomic growth and are critically important to realize a society where all people can feel their purpose in life and diversity is valued.

The Kishida administration has positioned women's economic empowerment at the center of our highly prominent policy, the New Form of Capitalism, and the Government of Japan is working in unison to advance efforts for women's economic empowerment. As one part of that, in 2022 we began requiring the disclosure of the gender pay gap.

Also, it is imperative that we work even harder to eliminate the so-called L-shaped curve, in which women choose to work in non-regular employment as they give birth, as well as to correct the gender pay gap, promote the development of digital skills for women and the support for women entrepreneurs, and expand women's participation in executive positions.

We will press forward with reviewing our system that deter women from entering the workforce, which is the so-called the "1.03-million-yen barrier" and "1.3-million-yen barrier" and introducing systems in which both women and men find easier than ever to take childcare leave.

We also work on revision of the Act on the Prevention of Spousal Violence and the Protection of Victims in order to strengthen efforts to prevent spousal violence and revise the panel code to better deal with sex offenses.

In addition, at this year's G7 summit meeting and ministerial meetings, we will advance discussions that incorporate a gender perspective, taking into account the outcomes of our efforts to date, including the World Assembly for Women, WAW! 2022, which was held at the very end of last year.

Here as we mark International Women's Day, I renew my determination to work towards a society in which all women and girls around the world, including in Japan and also in Ukraine and Afghanistan, where the environment is harsh, and in Turkey and Syria, which have recently been stuck by an earthquake, can realize their dreams and goals on the stage as they wish , whether it be in the workplace, in the home, in their local communities, in education, or anywhere, while demonstrating their individuality and their capabilities.