G7 Gender Equality Ministers End 2-Day Talks in Japan

Jiji Press

19:20 JST, June 25, 2023

NIKKO, Tochigi (Jiji Press) — The Group of Seven ministers for gender equality and women’s empowerment Sunday concluded their two-day meeting in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, by adopting a joint statement.

In the statement, the ministers expressed “strong concern about the rollback of rights of women and girls in time of crisis.”

“In Ukraine, Russia’s ongoing and illegal war of aggression led to a surge in conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence,” the ministers also said.

Japanese gender equality minister Masanobu Ogura chaired the meeting among the G7 major powers—Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States plus the European Union.

“The novel coronavirus pandemic has highlighted gender imbalances as an urgent issue in the economic and employment fields, which forced women to serve as an adjustment valve in employment,” Ogura said during the G7 talks.

The G-7 members will work together to promote women’s empowerment, he also said.

Regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Ogura said, “The rights of many women and girls are being violated.”

“Sexual violence in conflict is a violation of international humanitarian law and cannot be justified,” he stressed.