The Council for Gender Equality and the Gender Equality Bureau were established within the Cabinet Office in January 2001, thereby enhancing the national machinery for the promotion of gender equality under the strong leadership of the Cabinet. Through such framework, the government launched "Support Measures for the Balancing of Work and Child Raising," "Measures to Support Women's Challenges" and other comprehensive policies for the promotion of gender equality, and has been systematically pushing ahead with these policies.

Currently, the Japanese government puts emphasis on increasing the percentage of female leaders to at least 30% in every field of society by the year 2020 as the priority target. Taking the lead in addressing gender equality, the government has been making efforts to enlarge the recruitment and the promotion of female national public officers and to promote the participation of women members in national advisory councils and committees. I have no doubt that women members will successfully occupy 30% of all seats in national advisory councils and committes by the year 2005.

In addition, Japan lays weight on international cooperation as a basic philosophy for the formation of a gender-equal society. The ODA Charter, which was revised last year, clearly states the importance of gender equality and Japan's efforts at improving women's status as its basic policy and expresses Japan's attitude towards contributing to the further enhancement of gender equality in the international community. Japan, moreover, pushes ahead with international human exchange activities at all levels, such as holding the "Policy Dialogue on Gender Equality" every year in order to foster discussions in line with the multi-year work program of the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

In collaboration with the international community, Japan will continue its endeavors to achieve gender equality both in Japan and throughout the entire world.