Saudi Arabia seeing ‘significant changes' in women's advancement, says Tokyo governor
RIYADH: There have been 'significant changes' in women's advancement in Saudi Arabia compared to her previous visits to the Kingdom, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said on Friday.
Speaking at Fortune Magazine's Most Powerful Women International Summit in Riyadh, Koike said: 'Whatever the gender is, the Saudi Vision 2030 transformed the country and made it comfortable for everyone, including males, females, children and the handicapped.'
The governor has visited Riyadh three times previously but expressed her appreciation that women 'can drive and travel alone now.'
Koike is the first elected Tokyo governor and has been appointed three times so far. She told the Fortune panel that her priority was to make 'women's dreams come true.'
She added that free childcare, including tuition and provision of school lunches, was also high on her agenda.
Despite her focus on Tokyo, Koike said the agenda for women's advancement should be the same in all communities, from small villages to large cities.
'It's a common agenda we have to face whether for education, industry and for vitalizing the economy,' she said.
After her election, Koike began organizing a network for female mayors and governors.
'When I first started the network with my colleague, we only had 39 female mayors and governors elected,' she said, adding that women should 'not wait' until they were elected or appointed to join: 'If you don't a buy lottery ticket, you will not win.'
'The world is so turbulent,' Koike said, adding that women should take on its challenges and achieve whatever they want.
The theme of this year's conference is 'A New Era for Business: Partnering for Global Prosperity.' Other speakers included Nigeria's former minister of Education, Dr. Obiageli 'Oby' Ezekwesili, along with Prof. Hanan Abdulraheem Alahmadi, assistant speaker of The Shura Council of Saudi Arabia, and Farah Ismail, deputy minister of sectoral and regional development of the Saudi Ministry of Economy and Planning.
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