TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga instructed officials Tuesday to step up efforts to promote gender equality in the country.

Promoting gender equality is “an international norm,” Suga said at a meeting of cabinet ministers and other officials discussing the matter.

Specifically, Suga called for greater efforts to realize the goals included in the government’s fifth basic plan on promoting gender equality, adopted late last year.

 Japan has been criticized for lagging behind in gender equality, especially since Yoshiro Mori resigned as president of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics organizing committee last month over derogatory remarks about women.

Suga called on officials to be more sensitive about possibly insulting remarks. “If remarks based on prejudice and stereotypes are being made at government agencies, they should be pointed out for improvements,” he said.

The gender equality plan covers the five years from fiscal 2021, which starts next month. Its goals include making women account for 35 percent or more of the total people newly hired as government employees every year and increasing the share of women in managerial positions at private companies to 12 percent by calendar 2025.

The prime minister instructed officials to draw up measures to be carried out between fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2022 by around June.

JIJI Press