Latest news with #2025GlobalGenderGapReport
Tokyo Weekender
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Tokyo Weekender
A Record 42 Women Win Seats in Upper House Election
Last month, Japan ranked a disappointing 118th for the second successive year in the World Economic Forum's 2025 Global Gender Gap Report, with political empowerment being the country's weakest category. It was, therefore, encouraging to see a record number of 42 female candidates elected in Sunday's Upper House election. The previous high was recorded during the last House of Councillors vote in 2022, when 35 women secured seats. List of Contents: Decrease in Women Candidates in Upper House Election Four Women Elected in Tokyo Related Posts Decrease in Women Candidates in Upper House Election In total, women won 33.6% of the 125 contested seats. However, the number of female candidates dropped from 181 in 2022 to 152 this year — with 102 running from electoral districts and 50 through proportional representation. That represented 29.1% of all candidates, compared with 33.2% three years ago. The government was aiming for a 35% quota for female parliamentary candidates in 2025. Twelve female candidates from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) were elected, the highest number among all parties. That included Renho Saito, commonly known by her given name, Renho, for what was her fifth reelection. She automatically lost her Upper House seat after announcing she was running for the post of Tokyo governor last year. Incumbent Yuriko Koike won the gubernatorial election, with Renho finishing third. Four Women Elected in Tokyo Another female from the CDP to be reelected was Ayaka Shiomura, who was famously heckled in 2014 with the words 'hurry up and get married' by fellow council member Akihiro Suzuki after she asked about measures to help mothers. She was one of four women to win seven of the seats up for grabs in Tokyo. The other three were Mayu Ushida of the Democratic Party for the People (DPP), Yoshiko Kira of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) and Saya, representing Sanseito. 'I am really feeling the weight of each and every vote , and I feel a strong sense of responsibility,' said the singer-turned-politician Saya, who only goes by her first name. 'I believe that the real battle for Japan and for the Japanese people will now begin,' she added. Women accounted for five out of the seven seats Sanseito won in the electoral districts. It fielded 24 female candidates, compared to just 22 who ran for the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party (17) and Komeito (5). Related Posts LDP-Led Coalition Lose Upper House Majority, Ishiba Vows To Continue as Prime Minister Sanseito Explained: The Alarming Rise of Japan's Far-Right Movement Why Japanese Leftists Are Using Melonpan to Mock Sanseito
The Mainichi
20-07-2025
- Science
- The Mainichi
Trailblazing Japanese astronauts inspire kids to reach for stars
KAMAKURA, Kanagawa (Kyodo) -- When Chiaki Mukai and Naoko Yamazaki, the only Japanese women to have traveled to space, first aspired to become astronauts, their goal seemed like an improbable dream. At the time, no Japanese had been to space. But the two were determined to blaze a trail for a younger generation, driven by an affection for space and a desire to see Earth from orbit. The National Space Development Agency of Japan, predecessor of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, selected the first group of Japanese astronauts including Mukai in 1985, and those pioneers inspired Yamazaki. Now, the two women are encouraging children to find their passion and take a bold step forward at a time when advanced technologies like artificial intelligence are rapidly changing the job market. "Once you find your passion, you need to believe in yourself and keep taking on challenges," Mukai, who became the first female Asian astronaut to go to space when she rode the Space Shuttle in 1994 and 1998, said at an exchange event open to the public at a girls' school near Tokyo. "Even if you don't have confidence, just try it. Confidence will eventually follow as you overcome failures," added Yamazaki. She and Soichi Noguchi became the first two Japanese astronauts in orbit together during a mission to the International Space Station in 2010. Kitakamakura Girls' School in Kanagawa Prefecture invited Mukai, 73, and Yamazaki, 54, to speak in June, to encourage children, especially young women, to expand their horizons while taking leadership roles in society, including the field of space exploration. Women have historically remained underrepresented in prominent space work and comprised only about 11 percent of the total astronauts worldwide, according to a recent report by the U.N. Office for Outer Space Affairs. Gender inequality is a long-standing issue in education and careers, in particular in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, the report points out. Women face significant barriers in Japan. The World Economic Forum's 2025 Global Gender Gap Report ranks Japan 118th out of 148 countries, unchanged from 2024 and the lowest rank in the Group of Seven countries. The two pioneering women emphasized that being an astronaut is a gender-neutral occupation, and women are physically and mentally as capable as men in carrying out space missions. "I think it is just an individual trait like age, nationality and cultural background," Yamazaki said in an interview before the event, underscoring the fact that she had undergone training missions with men before going to space. An aerospace engineer, Yamazaki used the ISS's robotic arm to transfer cargo from the Space Shuttle Discovery to the ISS in 2010. She spoke about the diverse expertise of astronauts and the career paths they take. Mukai, a doctor who conducted various life science and space medicine experiments during her missions, said her medical background helped her assess how the human body adapts to new environments. She thinks this will help determine the kinds of technology needed for sending humans back to the Moon and eventually to Mars. Several hundred children attended the event, many peppering Mukai and Yamazaki with questions. Karin Hata, a 13-year-old girl from Yokohama, said, "The most memorable lesson I learned was the importance of challenging myself." "I was delighted to see so many children raise their hands," said Ichiro Fujisaki, chancellor of the school and former Japanese ambassador to the United States. When Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and U.S. President Donald Trump met in February, they agreed to "continue their strong partnership in civil space and on aeronautics, science, and human exploration," including lunar surface exploration on future Artemis missions. Amid a renewed space race between the United States and China, Washington wants to beat Beijing in getting to the Moon and sending the first human to Mars. Two Japanese astronauts are expected to land on the Moon under the U.S.-led Artemis program, which would be the first crewed Moon mission since Apollo 17 in 1972, but NASA also faces the challenge of a $6 billion budget cut proposed by the Trump administration, which aims to streamline lower priority and unaffordable missions. (By Takaki Tominaga)
India Today
27-06-2025
- Business
- India Today
Why is India in the bottom 20 when it comes to gender gap?
India has once again slipped in the global race for gender equality. In the 2025 Global Gender Gap Report released by the World Economic Forum, India ranks 131st out of 148 countries, a fall from last year's 129th spot. The drop comes despite a marginal improvement in India's overall gender parity score, a clear signal that other countries are moving much more worrying is that even within South Asia, India trails behind its neighbours: Bangladesh (rank 24), Bhutan (rank 119), Nepal (rank 125), and Sri Lanka (rank 130). With 64.4 per cent of its gender gap closed, India falls below the global average of 68.8 per cent and the South Asia regional average of 64.6 per cent. First introduced in 2006, the WEF gender gap index tracks gender gaps across four dimensions: economic participation, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment. India's performance is mixed, with education and health improving but political and economic indicators dragging down the 2025 index shows that no economy has yet achieved full gender parity. Iceland, with a score of 92.6 per cent, has held the top position for 16 consecutive years now, and remains the only economy to have closed more than 90 per cent of its gender gap since gains, economic stagnationadvertisementThere's been real progress in education. India has achieved 97.1 parity in educational attainment and ranks 110th in that category. Girls are going to school and enrolling in colleges at nearly the same rate as boys. In fact, women now make up a majority of graduates in several urban universities. Despite that, the achievement does not translate into jobs or promotions. The boardrooms remain out of reach. Health outcomes have slightly improved, with a better sex ratio at birth and increased life expectancy for women. However, India still ranks low at 143rd on this being the world's fastest-growing major economy, India remains one of the worst performers globally on gender parity in economic participation and opportunity, ranking 144th, ahead of a handful of crisis-ridden nations like Sudan, Pakistan, Women in the Workplace 2025 report found that only one in three hires at the junior level in Indian companies was a woman. As they moved up the ladder, the number of women dropped sharply. The report noted that just 18.2 per cent of board positions in corporate India were held by a growing gap between what women are qualified to do and what they're allowed to do. The WEF report backs this up. India's score on economic participation improved slightly, from 39.8 per cent in 2024 to 40.7 per cent in 2025, thanks to a rise in women's estimated earned income. But even now, Indian women earn about one-third less than men for the same work. And female workforce participation remains dismally women in poweradvertisementEven more worrying is the drop in political representation score, and it is the only subindex to do so this year. The number of women in Parliament fell from 14.7 to 13.8 per cent, and the share of women ministers dropped to 5.6 per cent, down from 6.5 per cent last year. These numbers take India further from its 30 per cent peak in 2019. In short, fewer women are in power today than a year ago.- Ends
Time of India
24-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Why do women occupy only 28.1% of senior leadership roles globally?
Why do women occupy only 28.1% of senior leadership roles globally? They're graduating in greater numbers, outperforming in classrooms, and steadily joining the workforce across every major sector. But when it comes to leadership—the corner office, the boardroom, the real seat at the table—women are still not getting through the door. According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2025 by the World Economic Forum (WEF), women hold just 28.1% of senior leadership positions worldwide. Despite significant progress in education and workforce participation, this number reveals a sobering reality: women are climbing the ladder, but still not leading. This gap is not merely symbolic—it has real economic consequences. Leadership shapes culture, policy, and profit, and without women at the helm, organizations miss out on the diversity of thought and decision-making proven to drive innovation and performance. The problem isn't a lack of qualified women—it's that too few are being given the chance to lead. The slow ascent to the top From 2015 to 2024, the share of women in top management globally rose only modestly—from 25.7% to 28.1%—and that momentum has slowed even further in the past two years. While select industries and regions have made progress, the overall pace remains disappointingly slow. This stagnation isn't due to a lack of talent or ambition. In fact, women are achieving academically at historic levels. The 2025 Global Gender Gap Report notes that the educational gender gap is now 95.1% closed, with women surpassing men in tertiary education across many countries. Yet these academic gains are not translating into equal representation in leadership. The report also mentions that only 29.5% of senior managers with tertiary education are women, revealing a troubling disconnect: even when equally or more qualified, women are still less likely to rise to top roles. Education is no longer the barrier—access to opportunity is. The leaky pipeline This disconnect between education and elevation in leadership is often described as the 'leaky pipeline'—a system in which women enter at junior levels but gradually drop off due to lack of opportunity, support, or advancement. One factor is the uneven distribution of caregiving. The WEF report shows women are 55.2% more likely than men to take career breaks, and those breaks tend to be longer—19.6 months for women versus 13.9 months for men. Most of these breaks are tied to parenting and unpaid care work, a burden still overwhelmingly borne by women across cultures and economies. Without structural support—such as accessible childcare, flexible work, and paid parental leave—these career breaks often come at the cost of momentum, visibility, and promotion. Stuck in people-centric professions Another reason for the leadership gap is gender-based industry segregation. Women continue to be concentrated in lower-paying, 'people-centric' sectors such as healthcare (58.5%) and education (52.9%). Meanwhile, industries traditionally associated with leadership pipelines—like finance, technology, and infrastructure—remain male-dominated, although there are signs of change. Notably, women's representation in infrastructure jobs grew by 8.9 percentage points, according to the WEF report. But these gains are the exception, not the rule. Education is no longer the issue Women have done their part. They've gone to school, earned their degrees, and joined the workforce. The problem no longer lies in qualification, but in translation—from classroom to career, and from entry-level to executive. The global workforce participation rate for women is now 41.2%, a number that still lags significantly behind men. And of the women who do enter the workforce, far too few are given the mentorship, sponsorship, or opportunity needed to move up. This isn't just a gender issue—it's an economic one. A more inclusive leadership landscape brings diverse perspectives, better decision-making, and stronger performance. Companies and countries alike are missing out on talent, innovation, and resilience by failing to elevate women into senior roles. A call for systemic change If progress continues at the current rate, the report estimates it will take 123 years to close the global gender gap entirely. That means not just today's generation of working women—but likely their daughters and granddaughters—will still be fighting for seats at the table. To close this gap faster, experts point to several urgent interventions: Transparent promotion pathways Equal access to leadership training and mentorship Workplace policies that support caregiving and flexible careers Gender-balanced hiring and succession planning Because women aren't asking for shortcuts—they're asking for systems that recognize their readiness and reward their contribution. The world has made undeniable progress in education. But until leadership reflects that progress, the ladder remains broken. Women are climbing—but the top is still far too crowded with the same familiar faces. It's time to build a workforce where qualification leads to opportunity, and ambition is met with access. Not 123 years from now. But now. Is your child ready for the careers of tomorrow? Enroll now and take advantage of our early bird offer! Spaces are limited.
Morocco World
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Morocco Struggles at 137th Place in 2025 Gender Equality Rankings
Rabat – Morocco holds the 137th spot out of 148 countries in the World Economic Forum's 2025 Global Gender Gap Report. Last year, Morocco also presented a poor performance, ranking among the bottom 10 in the report. The report, published annually since 2006, measures gender equality across four metrics: economic participation and opportunity, education access, political empowerment, and health. These categories show the extent to which women benefit from equal access to jobs, education, political representation, and healthcare compared to men. Morocco's very low rankings expose a grim reality for women, with little to no sign of improvement. Ranked 143rd in economic participation, women face significant barriers to decent jobs and career progression. Education, at 114th, is slightly better, but the improvement is weak and far from enough to close the gender gap. Political representation at 91st remains low, limiting women's capacity to have a say in matters that determine their lives. Most troubling is the 136the position in health and survival, pointing to persisting issues with access to care and life expectancy. These numbers show the sobering fact that gender equality in Morocco remains elusive. Morocco ranks second in the Maghreb list after Tunisia, which is 123rd in the world. Algeria is 141st, while Mauritania and Libya did not figure in this year's report. In the broader Arab world, Morocco sits at 10th place. Countries like the UAE (69th), Bahrain (104th), and Jordan (122nd) rank higher, while Lebanon (136th) and Oman (134rd) fall behind. On the African continent, Morocco occupies the 27th position. Namibia leads African countries with a strong 8th place worldwide, followed by Cape Verde (30th) and South Africa (33rd). Globally, Iceland continues to top and set the standard for gender equality, followed by Finland and Norway. The UK climbs to 4th place, with New Zealand and Sweden also among the top performers. At the opposite end of the spectrum, countries such as Iran (145th), Chad (146th), Sudan (147th), and Pakistan (148th) show the greatest gender gaps; rankings that Morocco is relatively close to. Central Asia, East Asia and the Pacific, as well as Sub-Sahara show moderate progress, approaching the 70% threshold toward equality. South Asia and the MENA region lag behind, closing only about two thirds of the gap. Morocco still faces a very long, difficult road to close the gender gap. Legal reforms must go beyond surface changes to truly protect and empower women. Tags: Gender Gapgender gap indexMoroccowomen rights
