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On June 16, 2021, the Prime Minister jointly held the 11th meeting of the Headquarters for Creating a Society in which All Women Shine and the 21st meeting of the Headquarters for the Promotion of Gender Equality at the Prime Minister’s Office.

At the meeting, the participants engaged in discussions on the Intensive Policy for Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality 2021, the implementation status of the Act on the Promotion of Female Participation and Advancement in the Workplace, and other matters.

Following the discussion, the Prime Minister said,
 
“Today, we put together the ‘Intensive Policy for Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality 2021’ and decided priority matters to work on.
 
The first among them is to bring women to the center of our responses to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The spread of COVID-19 has seriously affected the employment and lives of women. Hence, we must implement powerful and swift measures in order to leave no one behind.
 
We will stay attentive to women facing difficulties, by providing vocational training for single parents, offering support for women suffering period poverty, among other measures. At the same time, we will aim to support the shift of human resources to growth industries, by fostering digital professionals and other measures, with the post-COVID-19 period in mind.
 
The second is to achieve targets for the appointment of women set in the Fifth Basic Plan for Gender Equality. We will expand areas where women can play an active role in administrative and economic fields and in communities close to people’s lives, at the same time promoting the participation of women in the decision-making process. To this end, we will aim to visualize initiatives to achieve outcome targets and their progress.
 
The third is to create a society where women can lead their lives with dignity and pride. In order to eradicate violence against women, we will establish call centers to offer counseling over sexual violence and sexual crimes even during the nighttime and on holidays as well as provide education on the safety of lives across the country to prevent women from becoming victims or perpetrators.
 
Furthermore, we will solve each and every challenge, including swiftly making fertility treatments covered by public health insurance and encouraging men to take childcare leave.
 
Based on the Priority Policy decided today, I ask each minister to work hard on these issues under the leadership of Minister Marukawa, in order to create a society of the Reiwa era where all women can shine.”