BCCJ International Women’s Day: “Time For Action”

Written by Sterling Content

Members and friends of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BCCJ) marked International Women’s Day 2025 with an interactive event packed with action-driven dialogue, practical strategies and networking, all based on this year’s theme, #AccelerateAction.

The evening kicked off with a discussion on the topic, “Time for Action,” led by Yuki Miura, APAC Head of Partners of LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group), Annie Ma, Head of Structuring at Barclays Funds and Advisory Japan, and Junko Kubokawa, Representative Director & President of Croda Japan K.K and the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) champion within the BCCJ Executive Committee. 

Accelerate change

LSEG’s Miura welcomed the progress that has been made to advance gender equality globally, but said more needs to be done—and at a quicker pace—including in Japan. 

“Women are taking on leadership roles more and driving change in all sectors but we must continue to push for faster and more significant progress,” she said, pointing out the importance of embracing gender equality.

“I believe innovation and success come from an environment where everyone, regardless of gender or background, can thrive. We all, as members of society, need to promote equity, diversity and inclusion, ensuring that diverse voices are heard and equal opportunities are at the forefront,” she said, urging attendees to “commit to accelerating change.”

Generation by generation

Barclays’ Ma shared her experience growing up in China, where she was raised by a working mother who balanced career and family. 

Her mother’s generation blazed a trail for the next generation, showing what was possible, she said, noting, “when I was relocated to Tokyo, I didn’t feel guilty leaving my children at home because that’s how I grew up … We have to set an example for the next generation. That’s how we can change the world in the future.”

Ma added that values and mindsets will change over time; if each generation takes even one small step it could lead to “a very big step for our daughters and granddaughters.”

Men as partners

Croda Japan’s Kubokawa introduced the top 100 ranking of G20 stock exchanges based on the gender balance of issuers’ boards. Japan Exchange Group ranked 11th, with 19% of board seats held by women, below the G20 average of 23 seats. Furthermore, in Japan only 9% of firms had at least 30% women on the board, below the G20 average of 39%. 

“In Japan, a country of declining population, using the female workforce is a matter of survival. But it will also bring us more creativity and productivity,” she said, adding that “men are the partners” who can help make gender equality happen. 

Kubokawa invited members to get involved in the BCCJ’s DEI Working Group, which aims to bring men and women together to advance DEI initiatives within the UK–Japan business community. 

Working group team lead Ian Prideaux of PwC Japan then outlined the group’s activities: to explore DEI training and to gather data on diverse workforces and DEI action plans. The results will be disseminated to the BCCJ membership. 

Speed networking

The final session was career speed networking designed to foster connections with men and women in the early, mid and senior levels of their professional journey. In feedback, attendees in the early and mid-stages of their career, in particular, said they appreciated the rare and valuable opportunity to talk freely with senior executives.