Envoys call for stronger women's leadership across Asia-Pacific

Japan’s election of its first female prime minister reflects years of deliberate effort to promote women’s participation in politics, Japanese Ambassador to Korea Koichi Mizushima said Wednesday.

Mizushima spoke at a forum marking the 10th anniversary of Women Corporate Directors (WCD) Korea in Seoul, under the theme "Visionary Boards and Inclusive Growth: Shaping the Future of Asia-Pacific Boards.”

Congratulating the organization's achievements in advancing board diversity, Mizushima highlighted Japan's longstanding commitment to gender equality, citing the enactment of the Basic Act for Gender Equal Society in 1999 and the Sixth Basic Plan for Gender Equality introduced early this year to promote women in leadership.

Stressing the importance of empowering the next generation, he noted that Japan's foreign ministry launched the Next Generation Gender Network program in 2025 to nurture young leaders and strengthen cross-border cooperation, particularly in Asia.

"Our ultimate goal remains clear: to build a society where women have a strong voice, actively participate in decision-making and exercise leadership in every sector of society," he said.

Philippine Ambassador Bernadette Therese Fernandez underscored the importance of women's economic contributions, calling for greater recognition of their role in nation-building.

She noted that across Asia-Pacific economies, income generated by women working in the informal economy helps sustain communities and cover essential expenses despite often lacking adequate resources and support.

"For the Philippines, women's empowerment and gender equality are staples," she said, emphasizing the importance of continued support from women corporate leaders in recognizing women's contributions to economic development.

At the gala dinner, New Zealand Ambassador Dawn Bennett and Austrian Ambassador Eva Marie Russek also weighed in on women’s leadership.

Bennett noted that New Zealand became the first self-governing country to grant women the right to vote in 1893 and has since had three female prime ministers, each with a distinct leadership style.

"Diverse leadership is not only a matter of fairness, it is also a strategic advantage," she said, emphasizing that diverse perspectives lead to better decision-making and greater innovation.

Russek expressed hope for a future when a woman becoming the first to hold a leadership position would no longer make headlines, saying women should be recognized for their achievements rather than their gender.

WCD is a global nonprofit network of female board directors. Its Korean chapter, established in 2016, has around 180 members and helped advance a 2020 legal amendment requiring listed companies with assets of at least 2 trillion won ($1.4 billion) to include directors of both genders.