When Yoshiro Mori, former president of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, stepped down from that post after more than a week of backlash over sexist remarks, social progressives saw it as an important step forward in the ongoing struggle to change outdated attitudes in Japan toward women.
From athletic fields to board rooms, however, Japan has a long way to go toward gender equality. This is more than just a social issue. It is an economic opportunity for Japan.
Closing the gender parity gap could lift Japan’s GDP by 10%, according to a Goldman Sachs report, "Womenomics 5.0." But gender parity for work is not accomplished in isolation. It requires social gender parity as well.