Prime Minister Naoto Kan attended the 39th meeting of the Council for Gender Equality at the Prime Minister's Office.

Discussion took place on the response to the Great East Japan Earthquake from the perspective of gender equality, and other matters.

The Prime Minister said in his opening address, "As one of 'the three pillars of reassurance,' I called for the strengthening of the childrearing support system to enable all women who want to work to keep working. In the final draft of the proposal for the comprehensive reform of social security and taxation systems, we have included the expansion of capacity of childcare services and their functional enhancement through such means as the unification of kindergartens and nursery schools in line with the regional need, along with the improvement of employment among women - namely the elimination of the M curve - and other reforms.
Furthermore, we will encourage women to take part in all aspects of the process of reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake, from the perspective of gender equality. I would like to involve women in the reconstruction in order for it to result in the creation of a new society."