Introduction: The Gender Equality Debate in Japan—An Overview

The gender equality debate is current, pressing, and fundamental to a sustainable future it will never go away. Increasingly, gender equality has become an important global concept in international debates and has been a “focus of intention” among academics, business, governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and society. However, much still needs to be done to achieve gender parity. As such, globally, gender bias and discrimination persist. Therefore, it is no coincidence that gender equality is a global issue and has emerged as one of the central UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Gender Equality (SDG5) exists to “achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls” (United Nations, 2018). In addition to that, SDG5 suggests that “Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.” In the same vein, Fukuda-Parr (2016, p. 48) asserts that SDG5 “reflect[s] gender equality and women’s empowerment as a multi-dimensional process, going beyond straightforward outcomes, and incorporates targets related to gender-based violence, harmful practices, unpaid care work, voice, sexual and reproductive health and rights, economic resources, technology, and legislative change.”