This article explains the symposium on considering gender pay gaps conducted by the Cabinet Office Gender Equality Bureau on July 28, Reiwa 7 (Monday) from 18:00 to 20:00, held online (ZOOM webinar).
Keynote Speech and Economic Significance
Professor Hiromi Hara from Meiji University Faculty of Political Science and Economics delivered a keynote speech titled "Why We Should Address Gender Pay Gaps: Strategic Significance Shown by Economics." Additionally, Shungo Koreba presented prior research reports and researcher hearing results, and Manabu Tsukagoshi presented corporate case studies and hearing reports on gender pay gap information disclosure.
Corporate and Organizational Initiative Cases
Atsushi Katsuki (Representative Executive Officer and President) from Asahi Group Holdings Co., Ltd. and Hiroki Saito (Personnel Management Department Director) from the National Association of Shinkin Banks introduced specific initiatives toward gender pay gap correction.
Panel Discussion Focusing on Small and Medium Enterprises
Under the theme "Toward Gender Pay Gap Correction in Small and Medium Enterprises," participants included Takuma Inoue (Representative Director of Hatarakukurieto Co., Ltd.), Shigeru Sugawara (Mayor of Kesennuma City), Kumiko Hashimoto (Representative of the Women's Department Liaison Council of the National Association of Small and Medium Enterprise Organizations), and Kana Fujiwara (Executive Vice President of Fujiwara Techno Art Co., Ltd.), with Miwa Koyasu (Representative Director of Will Lab Co., Ltd.) serving as facilitator.
Government System Explanations
Government officials provided explanations of systems and policies related to gender pay gap correction, including relevant legal frameworks, support measures for businesses, and policy directions for promoting workplace gender equality.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for stakeholders from academia, business, and government to discuss practical approaches to addressing gender pay disparities, with particular emphasis on challenges and solutions for small and medium enterprises.