Empowering Women Leaders

2016–Present

As globalization progresses, the world has become increasingly aware of the wide gaps that exist in women’s ability to fully participate in their respective societies. Even among advanced democracies, the degree to which women hold key leadership roles in the business, government, or intellectual spheres varies greatly. But at the same time, there is a growing recognition that diversity—including gender diversity—is the key to fully unlocking the creativity and competitiveness of a given society.

JCIE’s Empowering Women Leaders project is drawing on JCIE’s global perspective and broad networks to carry out a unique series of exchanges and dialogues that include representatives from the political, governmental, economic, intellectual, and NGO sectors. The program aims to provide opportunities and strengthen the capacity of women leaders to participate in international dialogues, to build networks among women leaders, and to share lessons learned in each country on ways to encourage fuller participation by women in the policymaking process.

The program has had a significant knock-on effect to date. The 2017 Diet delegation and dialogue led to the creation of a Diet caucus to support young mothers and fathers in the legislature as well as the launch of JCIE’s foreign policy study group for women Diet members. And after a 2019 session of our study group addressed Japan’s immigration policy, it led to the launch of a new Diet study group specifically focused on that issue.

Japanese and American women leaders gathered in Tarrytown NY for discussions

REPORTS


Report of the 2022 US-Japan Women Leaders Dialogue | Moving the Needle on Gender Equity through US-Japan Collaboration

Kimberly Gould Ashizawa

December 2022

A report on the 2022 US-Japan Women Leaders Dialogue, held virtually, features recommendations based on the discussions among 40 women from politics, business, media, think tanks, and civil society.


Report of the 2021 US-Japan Women Leaders Dialogue | Seeking the "Next Normal"—Creating a Post-Pandemic World Where Women (and Men) Can Thrive

Kimberly Gould Ashizawa

July 2021

A report on the 2021 US-Japan Women Leaders Dialogue, held virtually in March–April 2021, featuring a series of recommendations based on the discussions among 40 women from politics, business, media,…


Common Ground and Common Obstacles: US-Japan Women Leaders Dialogue

Japan Center for International Exchange

2018

Highlights of a two-day discussion among American and Japanese women leaders on the shared political, security, and societal challenges facing their countries and on ways to advance women’s leadership…


A Gender Agenda: Asia-Europe Dialogue 3

Chia Siow Yue, ed.

2006

This third volume examines the economic empowerment of women through entrepreneurship development at the grassroots level; the authors demonstrate this through an analysis of six case studies.


A Gender Agenda: Asia-Europe Dialogue 2

Liz Bavidge, ed.

October 2003

This book is a summary report on the conference, “A Gender Agenda 2: Asia-Europe Dialogue—Transformational Approaches to the Roles of Women and Men in Economic Life and Political Decision-Making.”


A Gender Agenda: Asia-Europe Dialogue

Delfin Colomé, Yoriko Meguro, Tadashi Yamamoto, eds.

2001

This book reports on the conference, which signified the first occasion for women and men with various backgrounds and expertise to gather from throughout Asia and Europe to discuss gender issues from…


Japan-US Women Leaders Dialogue: Community Development and the Role of Women

Institute for International Education (IIE) and Japan Center for International Exchange

1994

A delegation of six women leaders from various regions of the United States traveled to Japan in January–February 1993, and six Japanese women leaders visited the United States in June of the same yea…

PROGRAM News


2023 Japanese Women Leaders Delegation to the US

September 11–15, 2023 | Washington DC

JCIE brought a delegation of six Japanese women leaders from political and business sectors to Washington DC to participate in a weeklong series of activities to explore issues related to US-Japan rel…


2023 US-Japan Women Leaders Dialogue STEM Roundtable

September 14, 2023 | Washington DC

During the visit of a delegation of Japanese women leaders to Washington DC, JCIE organized a semi-public roundtable discussion on Capitol Hill focusing on US-Japan collaboration on gender equity in S…


2022 US-Japan Women Leaders Dialogue | Tokyo Meetings

May 29, 2022 | Tokyo

A roundtable on recent developments in women’s issues was held, taking advantage of a visit to Japan by Dialogue Co-chair Rep. Diana DeDegette (D-CO). This was followed by a smaller lunch meeting that…


2022 US-Japan Women Leaders Dialogue

January–March 2022 | Online

READ THE REPORT JCIE is holding the 2022 US-Japan Women Leaders Dialogue, a three-part virtual discussion bringing together more than 40 women leaders from across multiple sectors from the United Stat…


US-Japan Women Leaders Dialogue

March–April 2021 | Online

JCIE held a three-session, online US-Japan Women Leaders Dialogue to convene top women leaders from varying walks of life. Two leading legislators, Hon. Seiko Noda and Hon. Diana DeGette, were the co-…


Diet Women's Study Group | 7th Meeting

February 4, 2021 | Online

Yoko Takeda, Chief Economist and General Manager, Research Center for Policy and Economy, Mitsubishi Research Institute, met with the Diet Women’s Study Group to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the…


Women's Leadership | Webinar on Global Women in Science

March 26, 2020 | Online

As part of its program on Women’s Leadership, JCIE served as a co-host on this webinar highlighting the stories of two young women leaders in science and the challenges they have faced.


Diet Women's Study Group | 6th Meeting

January 21, 2020 | Tokyo

Nobuo Tanaka, chairman of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and former executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), met with the Diet Women’s Study Group to discuss Japan’s energy security…


Diet Women's Study Group | 5th Meeting

December 11, 2019 | Tokyo

The Study Group met with AI expert Kenji Kushida to learn about the impact that artificial intelligence is having on the economy and society, and what opportunities lie ahead for Japan.


Diet Women's Study Group | 4th Meeting

September 9, 2019 | Tokyo

The Study Group discussed the issues of migration and refugees with a leading expert from a Japanese NPO.


Diet Women's Study Group | 3rd Meeting

June 28, 2019 | Tokyo

Silvana Koch-Mehrin, founder and president of Women Political Leaders, a network of female politicians worldwide, spoke with the Diet members at the Study Group on Empowering Women Political Leaders i…


Diet Women's Study Group | 2nd Meeting

May 20, 2019 | Tokyo

JCIE Senior Fellow Hitoshi Tanaka spoke with the Diet members spoke with the Diet members at the Study Group on Empowering Women Political Leaders in Japan about critical international security issues…


Diet Women's Study Group | 1st Meeting

March 18, 2019 | Tokyo

The Diet Women’s Study Group’s first session featured former UN Under-Secretary-General Yukio Takasu, who spoke with the group about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), asking what Japan should…


2018 Journalism Seminar | Diversity in the Trump Era

June 29, 2018 | Tokyo, Japan

In a June 29 public seminar, four fellows participating in JCIE’s 2018 US-Japan Journalism Fellowship reflected on how issues related to diversity are manifested in American politics and society today…


2017 Japanese Women Leaders Delegation to the US

September 11–17, 2017 | Washington DC, New York

JCIE’s 2017 US-Japan Parliamentary Exchange Program delegation from Japan was comprised entirely of women for the first time ever. Five impressive legislators and one senior journalist joined us for a…


US-Japan Women Leaders Dialogue

September 15–17, 2017 | Tarrytown, NY

JCIE held the first US-Japan Women Leaders Dialogue to convene top women leaders from varying walks of life in both countries, including four diet members of a Diet delegation traveling to the United…


The US Presidential Election and Social Diversity—A Dialogue with US Journalists

June 29, 2016 | Tokyo

A distinguished panel of journalists engaged in a lively discussion on the 2016 US presidential election and how women, youth, and other minority groups are shaping American politics.


Creating Opportunity through a More Inclusive Society—Sharing Best Practices in the US and Japan

March 18, 2016 | Tokyo

JCIE’s newly launched program on Empowering Women Leaders kicked off with a seminar on March 18, 2016, featuring panelists from Japan and the United States—both men and women—who are working to promot…