A Look at Women in the Workforce in Japan and the U.S.

By Melissa La Bouff

Asia Society of Northern California, the Consulate-General of Japan in SanFrancisco, and Japan Society of Northern California presented a panel on workplace gender equality in Japan and the United States, featuring: Michael Chui,McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) Partner, McKinsey & Company; Shie Lundberg, Director of 1:1 Care, Google; Kaori Sasaki, Founder & CEO, ewoman, Inc. and UNICUL International, Inc; and Steven Vogel, Professor, UC Berkeley.

The panel highlighted recent policies implemented by the Japanese government to encourage women to return and stay in the workforce and examined the challenges of women in Japan and the United States. Compared to other OECD countries, Japan struggles to decrease the gender equality gap despite Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s efforts to promote the advancement of women. Where is the movement for gender equality in the workplace headed? What can men and women do to promote gender diversity? How can women reconcile traditional roles and modern developments? Stay tuned for complete video footage of the event.

This event was supported by the Center for Japanese Studies, U.C.Berkeley; Dilena Takeyama Center, San Francisco State University; Financial Women of San Francisco; Japan Policy Research Institute, Holy Names University; and the U.S.-Asia Technology Management Center, Stanford University.