WAW! 2015: An innovative initiative for

women’s empowerment and gender equality

At the second annual World Assembly for Women 2015, held on 28 and 29th of August in Tokyo, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reaffirmed Japan’s leadership role in gender equality by enabling women to ‘shine,’ while influencers from all over the world hammered out practical action plans for the year.

Also known as WAW! 2015, Day 1 included a public forum of speeches by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, esteemed world leaders at the forefront of gender equality, and panel discussions related to women, education and the economy. Day 2 featured high-level roundtable discussions and special sessions on women’s issues.

Shinzo Abe

Now is the time for action


Prime Minister of Japan, and the man behind “Womenomics,” a pillar of the economic initiative widely known as Abenomics, which seeks to reinvigorate the Japanese economy.


The final curtain has been drawn on the era in which people ask why we promote the dynamic engagement of women in society. Now is the time for us to discuss how to bring it into reality.

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Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Women have strength


President, Republic of Liberia, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and Africa’s first democratically elected female head of state.


The strength of a woman is measured by the extent of her refusal to allow hardships to dictate who she becomes.

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Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

Appreciating Women


Executive Director, UN Women, former Deputy President of South Africa, Minister of Minerals and Energy, and Deputy Minister in the Department of Trade and Industry, and lifelong advocate for the education of girls and empowerment of women


When women are shining, it is the lights that they have always shone but people were not opening their eyes to see.

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Haruno Yoshida

Women for the future


President and Representative Director, BT Japan Corporation, Vice Chairman of the board of councilors of Keidanren (Japan Business Federation), and IT industry leader with experience in key managerial roles in Japan and abroad


For the first time everybody thinks that the female is a game changer, and probably our future. I feel the momentum.

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Linda A. Hill

Innovating with women


Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, author and expert on organizational behavior, and business consultant on leadership and innovation


It means a lot to me to be a part of this, where the government has made a decision to make sure that everyone can flourish.

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