Envoys call for stronger women's leadership across Asia-Pacific

Japanese Ambassador to Korea Koichi Mizushima and other envoys called for stronger women’s leadership at a Women Corporate Directors Korea forum in Seoul on Wednesday. Mizushima cited Japan’s efforts to advance gender equality, while Philippine Ambassador Bernadette Therese Fernandez highlighted women’s economic contributions. New Zealand Ambassador Dawn Bennett said diverse leadership can improve decision-making and innovation, and Austrian Ambassador Eva Marie Russek said women should be recognized for their achievements rather than their gender.

Japan enacted the Basic Act for Gender Equal Society in 1999 and introduced its Sixth Basic Plan for Gender Equality early this year.

Japan’s foreign ministry launched the Next Generation Gender Network program in 2025 to nurture young leaders and strengthen cross-border cooperation, particularly in Asia.

Bennett noted that New Zealand granted women the right to vote in 1893 and has had three female prime ministers.

WCD Korea was established in 2016 and has around 180 members.

A 2020 legal amendment requires listed companies with assets of at least 2 trillion won ($1.4 billion) to include directors of both genders.

Published Oct 29, 2026 1:04 pm KST

WCD Korea marks 10 years of promoting board diversity at Seoul forum

Participants pose at Women Corporate Directors (WCD) Korea's 10th anniversary global forum at Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas, Wednesday. Philippine Ambassador Bernadette Therese C. Fernandez stands fourth from left, WCD Korea Chair Tammy Chung fifth from left, and Japanese Ambassador Koichi Mizushima sixth from left. Courtesy of WCD Korea

Japan’s election of its first female prime minister reflects years of deliberate effort to promote women’s participation in politics, Japanese Ambassador to Korea Koichi Mizushima said Wednesday.

Mizushima spoke at a forum marking the 10th anniversary of Women Corporate Directors (WCD) Korea in Seoul, under the theme "Visionary Boards and Inclusive Growth: Shaping the Future of Asia-Pacific Boards.”

Congratulating the organization's achievements in advancing board diversity, Mizushima highlighted Japan's longstanding commitment to gender equality, citing the enactment of the Basic Act for Gender Equal Society in 1999 and the Sixth Basic Plan for Gender Equality introduced early this year to promote women in leadership.

Stressing the importance of empowering the next generation, he noted that Japan's foreign ministry launched the Next Generation Gender Network program in 2025 to nurture young leaders and strengthen cross-border cooperation, particularly in Asia.

"Our ultimate goal remains clear: to build a society where women have a strong voice, actively participate in decision-making and exercise leadership in every sector of society," he said.

Philippine Ambassador Bernadette Therese Fernandez underscored the importance of women's economic contributions, calling for greater recognition of their role in nation-building.

She noted that across Asia-Pacific economies, income generated by women working in the informal economy helps sustain communities and cover essential expenses despite often lacking adequate resources and support.

"For the Philippines, women's empowerment and gender equality are staples," she said, emphasizing the importance of continued support from women corporate leaders in recognizing women's contributions to economic development.

At the gala dinner, New Zealand Ambassador Dawn Bennett and Austrian Ambassador Eva Marie Russek also weighed in on women’s leadership.

Bennett noted that New Zealand became the first self-governing country to grant women the right to vote in 1893 and has since had three female prime ministers, each with a distinct leadership style.

"Diverse leadership is not only a matter of fairness, it is also a strategic advantage," she said, emphasizing that diverse perspectives lead to better decision-making and greater innovation.

Russek expressed hope for a future when a woman becoming the first to hold a leadership position would no longer make headlines, saying women should be recognized for their achievements rather than their gender.

WCD is a global nonprofit network of female board directors. Its Korean chapter, established in 2016, has around 180 members and helped advance a 2020 legal amendment requiring listed companies with assets of at least 2 trillion won ($1.4 billion) to include directors of both genders.

周三，日本驻韩国大使水岛幸一和其他使节在首尔举行的韩国女性企业董事论坛上呼吁加强女性领导力。水岛大使列举了日本在推进性别平等方面所做的努力，菲律宾大使贝尔纳黛特·特蕾莎·费尔南德斯则强调了女性对经济的贡献。新西兰大使道恩·贝内特表示，多元化的领导层能够改善决策和创新，奥地利大使伊娃·玛丽·鲁塞克则指出，女性应该因其成就而非性别而受到认可。

日本于 1999 年颁布了《性别平等社会基本法》，并于今年年初推出了第六个性别平等基本计划。

日本外务省于 2025 年启动了下一代性别网络计划，旨在培养青年领导人，加强跨境合作，尤其是在亚洲的合作。

贝内特指出，新西兰于 1893 年赋予女性投票权，并曾有过三位女总理。

WCD Korea成立于2016年，拥有约180名成员。

2020 年的一项法律修正案要求资产至少达到 2 万亿韩元（14 亿美元）的上市公司必须包括男女董事。

发布于2026年10月29日下午1:04（韩国标准时间）

WCD Korea在首尔论坛上庆祝成立10周年，该论坛旨在促进董事会多元化。

周三，在首尔帕纳斯洲际酒店举行的韩国女性企业董事协会（WCD Korea）十周年全球论坛上，与会者合影留念。图中从左至右依次为：菲律宾驻韩国大使贝尔纳黛特·特蕾莎·C·费尔南德斯（Bernadette Therese C. Fernandez）、WCD Korea主席郑锦美（Tammy Chung）和日本驻韩国大使水岛浩一（Koichi Mizushima）。（图片由WCD Korea提供）

日本驻韩国大使水岛幸一周三表示，日本选出首位女首相，反映了多年来为促进女性参政所做的努力。

水岛在首尔举行的韩国女性企业董事协会 (WCD) 成立 10 周年论坛上发表了讲话，论坛主题为“富有远见的董事会和包容性增长：塑造亚太地区董事会的未来”。

水岛祝贺该组织在推进董事会多元化方面取得的成就，并强调了日本对性别平等的长期承诺，列举了1999年颁布的《性别平等社会基本法》和今年年初推出的第六个性别平等基本计划，以促进女性担任领导职务。

他强调赋能下一代的重要性，并指出日本外务省于 2025 年启动了“下一代性别网络”计划，旨在培养青年领导人，加强跨境合作，尤其是在亚洲的合作。

他说：“我们的最终目标依然明确：建立一个女性拥有强大话语权、积极参与决策并在社会各个领域发挥领导作用的社会。”

菲律宾大使贝尔纳黛特·特蕾丝·费尔南德斯强调了妇女对经济的贡献的重要性，呼吁更加重视她们在国家建设中的作用。

她指出，在亚太地区的各个经济体中，从事非正规经济活动的妇女所获得的收入有助于维持社区运转并支付基本开支，尽管她们往往缺乏足够的资源和支持。

“对于菲律宾来说，赋予妇女权力和性别平等是根本，”她说道，并强调了女性企业领导人继续支持认可妇女对经济发展的贡献的重要性。

在盛大的晚宴上，新西兰大使 Dawn Bennett 和奥地利大使 Eva Marie Russek 也对女性领导力发表了看法。

贝内特指出，新西兰于 1893 年成为第一个赋予女性投票权的自治国家，此后曾有三位女总理，每位女总理都有其独特的领导风格。

她表示：“多元化的领导层不仅关乎公平，也是一种战略优势。”她强调，多元化的视角能够带来更好的决策和更大的创新。

鲁塞克表示，她希望未来女性成为首位担任领导职务的人不再成为新闻头条，并称应该认可女性的成就，而不是她们的性别。

WCD是一个由女性董事组成的全球性非营利组织网络。其韩国分会成立于2016年，拥有约180名成员，并推动了2020年的一项法律修正案，该修正案要求资产至少达到2万亿韩元（14亿美元）的上市公司必须包含男女董事。