JOINT STATEMENT OF
THE G7 GENDER EQUALITY MINISTERSNIKKO STATEMENT

Joint Statement of the G7 Gender Equality Ministers
On Gender Equality and the Empowerment of All Women and Girls
June 25 2023, Nikko
We, the G7 Gender Equality Ministers, gathered in Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture, in Japan, toreaffirm and reinforce our commitment to gender equality and the empowerment of all women andgirls.
Gender equality is fundamental to human rights and a necessary foundation for a peaceful,prosperous, and sustainable world. Achieving the safety and the full, equal, and meaningful
participation of women and girls in all their diversity in all spheres of society and their full and equalenjoyment of all human rights contributes to the vitality, cohesion, and democratic stability ofsociety.
The G7 has strived to realize gender equality and to ensure the full, equal, and meaningful
participation of women and girls in all their diversity as well as LGBTQIA+ persons in all spheres ofsociety. The G7 has also sought to achieve a society where diversity, human rights, and dignity are
respected, promoted, and protected, and all people can enjoy vibrant lives free from all forms ofviolence and discrimination independent of their intersecting characteristics, such as gender, sex,age, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression.
However, as of 2023, no country has achieved full gender equality. Moreover, the challenges inrealizing a gender-equal society have become even more difficult because of the recent
compounding crises, including war and conflict, climate change and biodiversity loss, a weakeningof democratic institutions, increasing global inequality, and the long-term health, economic, andsocial impacts of COVID-19.
The rights and lives of women and girls are under threat across the globe. The COVID-19 pandemic
and other crises have had a disproportionately negative impact on women and girls in all theirdiversity. In Ukraine, Russia’s ongoing and illegal war of aggression led to a surge in conflict-related
sexual and gender-based violence. Human rights violations and abuses against women and girls areon the rise in Iran. In Afghanistan, the Taliban are excluding women and girls from public life. The
destruction of medical facilities and reported increase in conflict-related sexual violence in Sudan
will have lasting impacts on women and girls. The rights and the safety of LGBTQIA+ persons areunder threat in many countries. In addition, technology-facilitated gender-based violence continues
to threaten the safety and well-being of many women and girls, and LGBTQIA+ persons. There is arising tide of backlash against gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls
worldwide.
Under these circumstances, the Japanese Presidency has placed gender equality high on its 2023 G7
agenda. Discussions held at the Summit and ministerial meetings have incorporated anintersectional gender perspective to accelerate progress toward gender equality and theempowerment of women and girls in all their diversity.
The G7 Ministerial Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment has been positioned
as the core of our gender mainstreaming efforts. At the meeting, we, the G7 Gender Equality
1Ministers, together with the representatives of the W7 and the GEAC, discussed gender equality
and the empowerment of all women and girls in a cross-sectoral manner. We reaffirmed ourcommitment to accelerating our efforts toward full gender equality and further empowering all
women and girls.

Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on all spheres of society, and its impact was
not gender neutral. It has disproportionately and negatively affected women and girls, andLGBTQIA+ persons, in many areas, and has exacerbated existing gender inequalities. In particular,
individuals who have been marginalized because of their intersecting characteristics, such as gender,
sex, age, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression have been
seriously affected. As over three years have passed since its onset, it is time to reflect on the
pandemic’s effects and review the responses and outcomes. To further advance gender equality
and empower all women and girls, we must learn from our experiences.
The pandemic significantly impacted women’s employment and work. Women in sectors, such as
the service sector, and the care and health sectors, were severely affected. Disrupted operation ofschools and childcare facilities as well as long term care services resulted in many women, whousually fulfill the primary responsibility for unpaid care and domestic work, exiting the labor market
or reducing their working hours to take care of their children or other family members. The
pandemic has highlighted the essential role of care work – both paid and unpaid – for thefunctioning of our societies and economies, but also as a key cause of gender inequalities due to its
unequal distribution.
During the pandemic, various types and forms of gender-based violence became increasingly severe.
Barriers, including the heightened threat to women's economic security and independence, andrestrictions on going out made it more difficult for survivors and victims to report episodes ofviolence. Moreover, online gender-based violence, as well as hate speech against women and girls
in all their diversity, and LGBTQIA+ persons, have exacerbated worldwide. It is important to note
this is increasingly intensifying through the proliferation and misuse of new technologies such as
artificial intelligence.
Additionally, the pandemic further limited access to quality, safe, and inclusive education and healthservices, including access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)
services, products, and information, which enables all women and girls to fully, equally, andmeaningfully participate in all spheres of life and exercise their rights.
However, the pandemic has also led to development and progress in several fields. For instance,
teleworking has become more common. Although efforts should be made to hold back its possible
downsides, teleworking has the potential to provide opportunities to save commuting time andexpand men’s participation in unpaid care and domestic work, and thus realize a work-life balanceirrespective of gender. In addition, telehealth, the provision of healthcare service remotely bymeans of telecommunications technology, has become more common and it has the potential toexpand access to healthcare for those with limited access.
Our experiences during the pandemic have made it clear that organizations with diverse workforces,
including gender-balance in executive and managerial positions, are more resilient to crises, andthat it is an important factor for company’s growth. Similarly, we acknowledge the importance of2

incorporating the perspectives of people from diverse backgrounds, including young women andwomen with disabilities, into the policy-making process and public life. Responsive measures aremost effective when we adopt an intersectional approach for those affected most. We will continue
to strengthen gender-disaggregated data collection to develop targeted measures that address
diverse needs of women and girls in all their diversity.
Our society has suffered severely under the pandemic, and our efforts toward a gender-equal
society have suffered a serious setback. We have all made enormous sacrifices during the pandemic.
Therefore, we should embrace the lessons we have learned and utilize them to fuel greater progress.

Advancing Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls

Promoting Economic Empowerment
During the pandemic, difficulties in ensuring women’s economic independence as well as the linkage
between women’s economic security and gender-based violence became acutely evident. Economic
security of all women and girls is a prerequisite for the full enjoyment of their rights. In addition,
empowering all women economically and closing gender gaps in the world of work are key toachieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Achieving the full, equal, and meaningful
participation of all women in the labor market and in the economy is an urgent task everywhere.
Inter alia, in countries battling with declining birthrates and a shrinking working age population, thefull, equal, and meaningful participation of all women has an especially significant role in sustaining
the vitality of society.
However, we must emphasize that there remain many structural barriers to women's economic
empowerment, and the factors which keep women’s income low are manifold and interwoven.
Underrepresentation of women in executive and managerial positions, sectoral or occupationalsegregation, unequal distribution of unpaid care and domestic work, and personnel and wage
systems that disadvantage women in all their diversity are among them. The long-standing gender
pay gap is a composite product of these structural factors and we need a comprehensive approach
to close the pay gap.
Women’s representation in executive and managerial positions should be expanded and supported.
Women’s leadership pipelines should be established and improved, and measures to encouragecompanies to increase women’s participation and leadership should be taken. Facilitating flexible
working models and the option of part-time work in executive and managerial positions could
contribute to increase women’s share in these positions. Pay equity and transparency policies canbe effective solutions to support equal pay for equal work or work of equal value.
In terms of sectoral and occupational segregation, in addition to giving due recognition and fairtreatment to professions in which women are predominant and undervalued, facilitating labormobility of women to growing sectors and sectors with traditionally higher remuneration isimportant. To facilitate labor mobility of women, their access to education and opportunities forskilling, including upskilling and reskilling, should be improved. Because of the rapid socioeconomicchanges, women need more opportunities to develop or upgrade their skills and abilities, so thatthey can advance their careers in certain industries or enter growing sectors, such as the digital andclimate fields. We should note that, in order for everyone, regardless of their gender, to benefit
equally from digital developments, efforts to close the digital gender divide should be made. We
should take a gender perspective on digital policies and processes to design, develop, and deploy
new technologies, and we should strive to ensure that women are full, equal, and meaningful3participants in governance and decision-making in all aspects of digital technologies. We arecommitted to encouraging women and girls in all their diversity to consider careers in STEM fields,
by removing gender stereotypes and biases and promoting better understanding of and access to
STEM careers.
A growing number of women are engaged in entrepreneurship and self-employment. These ways
of working can offer a more flexible working environment than more traditional workplaces. The
advancement of women's entrepreneurship contributes to innovative solutions to urgent
challenges of our times. We reaffirm the G7 Principles on Women’s Entrepreneurship to empower
all women and girls to take on and succeed at entrepreneurial leadership. To support women in all
their diversity to start and grow their own business, their access to knowledge, education, training,
networks, and capital should be improved significantly.
Safety and security in work and employment for women in all their diversity are indispensable toensure an equal access to opportunities. We are committed to promoting measures that preventand respond to gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace and addressing patriarchal
structures which perpetuate discrimination in the workplace.
Recognizing, Reducing, and Redistributing Unpaid Care and Domestic Work, and Supporting Care
Workers
Unpaid care and domestic work, which are disproportionately performed by women, are major
obstacles to the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women in all their diversity in all spheresof society and negatively impact women’s economic empowerment by impairing their ability towork full-time or in leadership positions. Supporting a more gender-equal sharing of work and family
or parental responsibilities can contribute to realizing more flexible working hours and closing
gender gaps in incomes. Recognition, reduction, and redistribution of unpaid care and domestic
work are crucial for the economic empowerment of women in all their diversity, and increasing their
participation in decision-making processes and, thus, strengthening their economic security andautonomy.
We must acknowledge that recognizing, reducing, and redistributing unpaid care and domestic work,
including, but not limited to, childcare and care for older persons or persons with disabilities, is an
issue that society as a whole needs to address. We must therefore reinforce public support forfamilies and parenthood by ensuring access to quality and affordable care services, and encouragecompanies to adopt and improve a working system that ensures employees’ work-life balanceirrespective of their gender.
It is also necessary to reward care workers fairly, noting that care work is characterized by low pay
and difficult working conditions, and the overrepresentation of women. Care workers must also be
represented in social dialogue and collective bargaining.
Technology and innovation, particularly those in the digital field, play an important role. The use oftechnologies may increase labor productivity and reduce workload. Teleworking is an example ofsuch technology. However, we should note that technologies may be used to cause harm andperpetuate gender inequality. We should strive to ensure that rising technologies are beneficial to
everyone and do not erode our efforts toward gender equality by paying due attention to theirproper use and development, as well as minimizing the risk of gender-based violence facilitated bythem.
4Additionally, recognizing, reducing, and redistributing unpaid care and domestic work requires
commitment from everyone, including men and boys in all their diversity. We should work on
improving flexible working time and leave systems, and enabling and promoting their use by men.
Besides that, to ensure that men and boys in all their diversity participate more in unpaid care anddomestic work, measures to break down gender roles, stereotypes, and biases are needed.
Addressing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Gender-based violence threatens the safety and security of individuals, undermines their dignity,and deprives them of their freedom and right to self-determination. In order to fully and equally
enjoy their rights, and pursue their full potential and opportunities, all individuals should be freefrom fear of violence and be able to live safely and securely. We must not tolerate any form of sexualand gender-based violence.
To eliminate all forms of gender-based violence, we must establish seamless multi-sectoral systems
with focus on preventing violence, supporting and protecting survivors and victims, and ensuring
access to justice and accountability of perpetrators. Effective cooperation among relevant agencies
and entities, based on a trauma-sensitive and survivor/victim-centered approach, is essential.
Systems to support survivors and victims on a one-stop basis, including physical and mental
healthcare, access to justice systems, and housing support, according to mid- to long-term plans,
are urgently required. We also need to develop and enhance the capacities of relevant actors andprofessionals, including local and community-based organizations, the justice system, and law
enforcement agencies, from a gender-responsive and survivor/victim-centered perspective.
Online violence, harassment, disinformation, and misogynist hate speech have intensified over the
past few years. Retaliation and repeated victimization of survivors, victims, and actors that support
them have been particularly significant and severe. Women and girls in all their diversity in public
life, such as journalists, human rights defenders, politicians, and advocates face a heightened risk ofexperiencing technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), which is gender-based violencefacilitated by the use of information and communication technology (ICT) or other digital tools, suchas artificial intelligence. Adolescents and young people also face a higher risk of experiencing
technology-facilitated gender-based violence, due to their higher usage of these technologies. To
address online gender-based violence, measures such as establishing an effective process ofreporting and removing contents violating the law, and holding perpetrators, including platform
companies when appropriate, accountable must be considered. We also need to pay attention toand take measures to address loneliness and social isolation of women and girls in all their diversity.
We reiterate our concerns about coordinated backlash against gender equality and roll back of therights of women and girls in all their diversity as well as LGBTQIA+ persons and express ourcommitment to fighting them by addressing and eliminating stereotypes and biases and positively
changing attitudes and behaviors of society that sustain gender-based violence.
Advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
We recognize the essential and transformative role of comprehensive sexual and reproductive
health and rights (SRHR) in gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, and bodily
autonomy, and in supporting diversity, including of sexual orientation and gender identity. We
reaffirm our full commitment to achieving comprehensive SRHR for all, including by addressing
access to safe and legal abortion and post abortion care. We stress our commitment to reducing
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maternal and child deaths, and eliminating harmful practices.
Increasing Women’s Representation in Decision-Making
Women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation in decision-making at all levels is a matter ofhuman rights and it also benefits everyone by contributing to better economic, social, and politicaloutcomes. To build a fairer, more inclusive and resilient society, the participation and leadership of
all women in all spheres of society should be increased.
Safety is a prerequisite for women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation. Growing attacks on
women and LGBTQIA+ activists, politicians, and human rights defenders, feminist and women’s
rights actors and organizations negatively affect democratic processes and undermine thelegitimacy of institutions.
We reiterate our shared and steadfast commitment to the Women, Peace and Security (WPS)
agenda and its contributions to achieving peace, security, and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). We
recognize that when women are safe and able to fully, equally, and meaningfully participate in all
spheres of life, we are all safer and more secure, and enjoy a better life. Despite contributions of
women and women’s organizations to preventing and resolving security challenges, countering
violent extremism and terrorism, and building resilient communities, they are consistently
underrepresented in decision-making institutions and processes aimed at preventing conflict andbuilding peace and security. Women are agents of change. Increasing women’s full, equal, andmeaningful participation in decision-making roles at all levels can increase the legitimacy of agovernment and its ability to effectively manage conflict and natural disasters, and result in resilient
democracies. We will continue to promote the full, equal, and meaningful participation andleadership of women in all their diversity in crisis management, conflict prevention and resolution,and peacebuilding.
Changing Society’s Mindset
Gender stereotypes and biases, and discriminatory and harmful social systems and customs
mutually reinforce and reproduce each other. We must work to change societal norms and toeliminate discriminatory social practices to facilitate the safety and the full, equal, and meaningful
participation of all women and girls. Challenging harmful stereotypes and biases that perpetuate
gender inequalities demands that everyone irrespective of their gender be involved in advancing
gender equality, and addressing and preventing gender-based violence. We will strive toward
engaging all men and boys as allies, agents of change, and co-beneficiaries. These efforts include
promoting healthy attitudes and behaviors, and encouraging all men and boys to free themselvesfrom harmful gender stereotypes and biases, such as toxic masculinity, to challenge and change
norms, attitudes, and behaviors that perpetuate gender inequality, and to understand and takeaction against gender-based violence.

Promoting the G7's Commitment to Gender Equality

Gender equality cannot be achieved through government initiatives alone. To advance genderequality and the empowerment of all women and girls, our strong political commitment should becoupled with a solid and constructive cooperation with all stakeholders, such as civil society,academia, the private and public sectors, and effective implementation mechanisms. The G7 has
made significant progress in this regard.
Meetings of G7 gender ministers have been held since 2017, providing a forum for discussing gender6equality in a cross-sectoral manner. The G7 gender ministers' meetings offer a platform to reaffirm
the G7’s commitment to and understanding of gender equality, and provide precious opportunities
to form mutual understanding for its implementation.
The Women7 (W7), which held its first Summit in 2018, has brought the voices of women and girls
in all their diversity from around the world to the G7. We welcome this year’s W7’s
recommendations toward an equal, just, and peaceful future. Additionally, the Gender Equality
Advisory Council (GEAC), which was established in 2018, has significantly contributed by supporting
leaders and ministers in ensuring that gender equality and gender-based analysis are integrated into
all deliverables of the G7 process utilizing its members’ outstanding expertise. We also welcome the
GEAC’s insightful work toward an inclusive, peaceful, and just society this year.
Furthermore, a framework for accounting for the progress of the G7’s commitment is being
developed. The G7 Dashboard on Gender Gaps was first released in 2022 and updated in 2023 incooperation with the OECD. The Dashboard contributes to understanding the current status andprogress of the G7’s commitment to achieving gender equality, and is also a medium for mutual colearning. We will redouble our efforts to publish the first Implementation Report this year, whichaims to describe the progress of past G7 commitments, and anticipate it will provide another robust
monitoring and accountability tool.
We will continue to improve and utilize these mechanisms through enhancing data collection
disaggregated by gender and other intersecting characteristics, which is necessary to develop
targeted measures and tailor support diverse needs of women and girls in all their diversity, and wewill further develop our cooperation with relevant stakeholders and our civil society partners toadvance our efforts.

Way forward

We, the G7 Gender Equality Ministers, express our strong concern about the roll back of rights ofwomen and girls in time of crisis and we strongly condemn all violations and abuses of human rights
and fundamental freedoms for women and girls around the world. We denounce the use of sexual
violence in conflict situations and underscore that such acts may constitute crimes against humanity
or war crime. We condemn Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine in the strongest terms andurge Russia to immediately withdraw from the territory of Ukraine. We stand with Ukraine and the
Ukrainian people, in particular, women and girls in all their diversity. We call for a gender-responsive
recovery planning in Ukraine in close cooperation with Ukrainian authorities.
We commit to strive to achieve full gender equality, and further empower women and girls in all
their diversity, taking into account their intersecting characteristics, such as gender, sex, age,
ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression. We continue our efforts
toward realizing a society where the human rights and dignity of all women, girls, and LGBTQIA+
persons, are fully respected, promoted, and protected. We are committed to fighting the backlash
against gender equality.

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