When Prime Minister Shinzo Abe addressed the United Nations General Assembly last month, he emphasized his determination to build a society in which women shine.

Indeed, creating opportunities for women in the workforce is an essential pillar of the government's reform program, known as "Abenomics."

Abe is clearly on the right track. According to an analysis by researchers at Goldman Sachs, closing the gender gap could boost gross domestic product by 9 percent in the United States and nearly 13 percent in Japan. During his stay in New York, Abe also discussed "womenomics" with Hillary Clinton, who had made empowering women in the economy a key policy goal during her tenure as U.S. secretary of state.