These qualities allow women to build more human connections that encourage collaboration and forward-thinking mindsets. The value of women in leadership is evident, with data showing that organizations led by women see greater success: n Companies with women representing more than 30 percent of leadership are significantly more likely to financially outperform those with 30 percent or fewer. 30 n Japanese companies with a higher ratio of female managers to total female employees demonstrate higher levels of productivity. 31 n Japanese firms with more female managers tend to achieve higher return on equity and return on assets. 32 n Globally, statistics show that in countries where more women are in political office, there is less corruption, even when controlling for income, civil liberties, education, and legal institutions. 33 A Closer Look at SIIF’s Actions Nanako Kudo, leading SIIF (Japan Social Innovation and Investment Foundation), believes that impact investing and impact economy has not helped move the needle on the WEF gender gap. She explains, “Japan hasn’t done enough to change gender inequity.” 34 Citing the WEF study, she says, “We are at around 120 out of 146 countries or so and it doesn’t change a lot. A little bit of progress has been made in child poverty, but still six out of seven children live in poverty in Japan. We are one of the richest countries in the world and there’s this poverty rate of 50 percent for single mothers. Why are these problems remaining?” 35 The following examines SIIF’s efforts in addressing inequality. GSG Impact JAPAN Partners While GSG Impact JAPAN does not have a formal position or initiative explicitly promoting gender or LGBTQ+ equity, many of its member organizations are actively advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. For example, global businesses such as GSG Impact JAPAN supporting members Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation, were recognized in the 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, alongside other prominent Japanese companies such as Mizuho Financial Group Inc. and Japan Post Bank Co. Ltd. 36 These organizations have been acknowledged for their commitments to gender equity in both their corporate governance and external work. 37 These banks are also recipients of
126
Ten Years in the Making
Powered by FlippingBook