TOKYO: The Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics organizing committee has set up a team to promote gender equality, its president, Seiko Hashimoto, said Wednesday.

Hashimoto unveiled the launch of the team at a videoconference of the International Olympic Committee Executive Board.

The gender equality promotion team, led by Mikako Kotani, sports director at the Tokyo Games organizing committee, will start operating Thursday.

Hashimoto, a former Olympics speed skater and cabinet minister in charge of the Tokyo Games, assumed the presidency of the organizing committee last week after Yoshiro Mori resigned over his sexist remarks.

At the IOC meeting, Hashimoto reiterated her goal of raising the proportion of women on the organizing committee’s Executive Board to 40 pct.

Kotani, a former Olympic artistic swimmer, said the gender equality promotion team will consider reforms to be implemented during and beyond the Tokyo Games.

JIJI Press