NIKKO, Tochigi -- Japan was the only Group of Seven country to dispatch a male minister to the recently held G7 Ministerial Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment.
The event, which closed Sunday, was attended by nine representatives of countries and organizations, with Japan's gender equality minister Masanobu Ogura -- who chaired the meeting in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture -- being the sole official male presence. The gathering was expected to highlight women's activities in Japan but ended up demonstrating the conspicuously small role women play in contemporary Japanese politics.
The convocation was attended by G7 ministers and representatives of the European Union and the Gender Equality Advisory Council.
