「国際女性の日」に寄せて 野田女性活躍担当大臣・内閣府特命担当大臣(男女共同参画)メッセージ

「国際女性の日」に寄せて

女性活躍担当大臣・
内閣府特命担当大臣(男女共同参画)

野田 聖子

3月8日は、1975年に国連が定めた「国際女性の日」です。平和と安全、開発における役割の拡大、組織やコミュニティーにおける地位向上などによって、どこまで女性がその可能性を広げてきたかを確認し、今後の更なる前進に向けて話し合う機会として設けた記念日であり、また、今後の更なる前進に向け、決意を新たにする日でもあります。

この「国際女性の日」には、国連を始め世界各国においてこの日を祝う行事が行われています。日本においても、昨今、株式市場でESG投資・女性活躍への機運が高まりつつあることを踏まえ、東京証券取引所において「女性活躍のための打鐘セレモニー~Ring the Bell for Gender Equality~」イベントが今年初めて開催されました。私も出席させていただき、大きな潜在力である女性が、その能力を最大限発揮し、日本だけでなく世界全体の経済成長につながるように、との想いを込め、鐘を打ち鳴らしてまいりました。

我が国は、今後、更なる少子化・人口減少という危機を迎えます。この危機を克服するためには、我が国の最大の潜在力である女性が、自らの希望に応じ個性と能力を発揮し、社会・経済の多様性と活力を高めることが不可欠です。

政府はこれまで、第4次男女共同参画基本計画の策定や、毎年の「女性活躍加速のための重点方針」の策定、女性活躍推進法の施行など様々な取組を進めてきました。その結果、女性の就業者数はこの5年間で約200万人増加し、子育て期の女性の就業率も上昇するなど成果は着実にあがっています。

今後は、女性活躍を突破口に、多様性が強みとなる社会を目指し、女性活躍と働き方改革を一体として、政府全体で取り組んでいくことが必要です。また、女性活躍は「単なる労働力の補充」でなく、「生産性向上、経済成長につながる経済政策である」と認識することが、極めて重要となります。

まだ道半ばですが、すべての女性が自らの希望に応じ個性と能力を発揮できる社会を構築し、働きやすく、暮らしやすい、持続可能な社会を実現するべく、全力で取り組んでまいります。



International Women’s Day
8th March 2018
Message by Seiko Noda
Minister in charge of Women’s Empowerment
Minister of State for Gender Equality


The 8th of March is International Women’s Day, recognized by the United Nations in 1975. This celebration was established as an opportunity to reaffirm the extent to which women have broadened their potential by playing larger roles in peace, security, and development, and enhancing their standing in organizations and communities, while at the same time discussing further progress for the future. The day is also intended as an occasion for us to renew our determination to achieve further progress for the future.

The United Nations and countries around the world hold various events on International Women’s Day to celebrate it. In Japan too, against a background of the current growing trends for ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) investing and women’s empowerment in the stock market, the Tokyo Stock Exchange held its first “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality” event this year. I was among those who attended the ceremony and rang the bell with the hope that women with enormous potential would demonstrate their capabilities to the full and contribute to the economic growth of not only Japan but also the entire world.

Japan is going to face the crisis of a continuing decline in its child population, and accelerated overall depopulation from now on. Overcoming this crisis requires us to create an environment where women in Japan, as the country’s richest source of potential, can demonstrate their individuality and capabilities in accordance with their aspirations, leading to the greater diversity and vigor of our society and economy.

For this purpose, the Japanese government has so far implemented various measures, including formulating the Fourth Basic Plan for Gender Equality, designing the Intensive Policy to Accelerate the Empowerment of Women for each year, and enforcing the Act on Promotion of Women’s Participation and Advancement in the Workplace. These efforts have been rewarded with reliable achievements, such as an increase in the number of female workers by about two million during the past five years, and in the rate of working mothers.

Going forward, the Japanese government as a whole must pursue women’s empowerment and labor reforms in an integrated way, aiming for a society with diversity as its strength brought about by a breakthrough in women’s empowerment. It is extremely important to recognize women’s empowerment as an economic policy leading to greater productivity and stronger economic growth, rather than merely as a measure to supplement the labor force.

Although we still have a long way to go, we will devote all our energies to building a society where all women can demonstrate their individuality and capabilities in accordance with their aspirations, which will result in a sustainable society in which all people can work and live in comfort.

March 2018