Women’s Economic Independence to Be Discussed at G-7 Meeting in June

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Masanobu Ogura, state minister in charge of women’s empowerment, left, visits a candidate venue of a G7 ministrial meeting in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, on Sunday.

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — Women’s economic independence and gender inequality will be the two main topics of a meeting in June of women’s empowerment ministers from the Group of Seven major countries, Masanobu Ogura, state minister in charge of women’s empowerment, said Sunday.

Ogura, who will chair the G-7 ministerial meeting, was speaking to reporters after visiting the meeting’s planned venue in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture.

Asked about calls, including from within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, for scrapping the income-related restrictions on child benefits, Ogura said, “We’ll listen to opinions from the Diet and parties and make efforts to have better discussions.”