Policy Updates

On September 15, 2025, a UN Women report revealed that progress on women's rights is stagnating and regressing due to conflict, aid cuts, and a backlash against gender equality, and called on governments at the UN General Assembly in New York to commit to renewed action, highlighting that the US$420 billion needed annually to advance gender equality is a fraction of the US$2.7 trillion spent on the military.

The report, a gender snapshot monitoring progress on the SDGs, found that 676 million women and girls lived near deadly conflict in 2024, the highest number since the 1990s. Women are also more likely to be affected by rising food insecurity. The report projects that climate change could push an additional 158.3 million women and girls into extreme poverty by 2050.

Director of UN Women’s policy division, Sarah Hendriks, contrasted the US$2.7 trillion in annual military spending with the estimated US$420 billion needed to advance gender equality. The report also noted a digital gender divide, which if addressed, could lift 30 million women and girls out of poverty by 2050 and generate a US$1.5 trillion increase in global GDP by 2030. UN Women is calling for renewed commitments at the UN General Assembly, 30 years after the Beijing Declaration.

On November 22, 2024, JICA signed a grant agreement with the Ethiopian government to provide JPY1.5 billion (US$10 million) for the development of secondary schools in the Sidama region in Ethiopia.

This initiative aims to enhance educational access and improve learning environments, particularly for girls, through gender-sensitive infrastructure and equipment.

The project involves constructing new secondary schools, procuring classroom furniture, educational tools, and providing consulting services. By addressing barriers to education and promoting gender equality, this program intends to support Ethiopia’s educational development and aligns with SDGs 4 (Quality Education) and 5 (Gender Equality).

On October 29, 2024, Japan and the Philippines signed an agreement in Manila to provide up to JPY724 million (US$5 million) for a new project addressing women’s health and GBV in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The project will establish facilities to protect women from GBV and create an obstetrics and gynecology clinic dedicated to violence response. Additionally, the project will provide vocational training and support women’s advocacy in the region.

Japan’s support aims to promote peace, stability, and development in Mindanao by improving access to medical care, preventing violence, and empowering women.

On October 8, 2024, a conference was held in Kyiv to discuss the outcomes and lessons learned from two reproductive health projects in Ukraine, funded by the Japanese government.

The projects, implemented by WHFP (a member of IPPF), aimed to mitigate the impact of GBV and improve access to reproductive health services in regions affected by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Key achievements of the projects include:

• Providing medical equipment, medicines, and post-rape care kits to 10 medical facilities;
• Delivering reproductive health services to over 1 million women and girls;
• Training 459 healthcare workers on managing rape cases and emergency obstetric care;
• Offering comprehensive sex education training to over 50 educators and counselors; and
• Organizing 70 youth events on reproductive health.

The conference highlighted Japan’s crucial role in supporting Ukraine’s healthcare system during the ongoing conflict, emphasizing the importance of reproductive health services for women, girls, and vulnerable populations.

On October 7, 2024, Japan signed an agreement for a grant of JPY1.2 billion (US$8 million) to improve living conditions for vulnerable urban populations in Afghanistan.

The agreement aims to address challenges in Kabul and Herat, two rapidly growing provinces facing inadequate infrastructure and services, particularly affecting women, the disabled, and the poor.

The project focuses on rehabilitating infrastructure such as healthcare facilities, water and sanitation systems, and roads, incorporating community participation and disaster risk considerations. By improving living conditions, it is expected to support the health and sustainable development of Afghanistan's vulnerable urban populations.

On September 26, 2024, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa outlined Japan's commitment to the WPS agenda at the WPS Focal Points Network High-Level Side Event in New York.

Kamikawa emphasized that WPS is a key pillar of Japan’s foreign policy and highlighted three key areas of progress: the establishment of a cross-organizational task force to enhance cooperation, the integration of WPS into foreign policy through over 150 diplomatic engagements, and the launch of the WPS and Innovation Policy Forum to strengthen international networks.

Kamikawa acknowledged the significance of the WPS Focal Points Network in fostering global cooperation and sharing best practices. She announced Japan’s intention, along with Norway, to co-chair the WPS Focal Points Network in 2025, coinciding with the 25^th anniversary of UNSC Resolution 1325. Japan will host the Capital-Level Meeting in Tokyo from February 4-6, 2025.

Finally, she emphasized the urgency of advancing WPS in light of ongoing conflicts, such as in Ukraine and Gaza, and highlighted the need to expand women's roles in peace-building, disaster risk reduction, and ensure action plans turn ideas into concrete measures. Japan aims to strengthen international solidarity and accelerate WPS activities in the coming years.

On September 22, 2024, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio addressed the UN Summit of the Future in New York CIty, emphasizing focal areas to ensure global peace, freedom, and prosperity.

Kishida's five key target areas included:

• Upholding the rule of law: Kishida emphasized that unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force cannot be tolerated. A free and open international order based on the rule of law is essential for sustainable development and prosperity;
• Defending human dignity: He stressed that human dignity is the foundation for all international cooperation, especially when addressing complex global crises;
• Investing in people: Kishida called for empowering women, children, and youth, announcing Japan's plan to launch a program to nurture future leaders in the field of gender equality, and reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to universal health coverage and quality education;
• Nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation: He expressed Japan’s determination to promote practical efforts toward a world without nuclear weapons, even amid current challenges; and
• UNSC reform: Kishida advocated for the expansion of both permanent and non-permanent membership categories, calling for concrete actions to reform the UNSC.

On August 20, 2024, Japan announced it will host the TICAD Ministerial Meeting on August 24-25 as a precursor to TICAD9, which is due to be held in August 2025.

The meeting will involve discussions with African ministers and international organizations to strengthen Japan-Africa relations. Sessions will focus on relevant themes such as education, innovation, universal health coverage, and health financing.

On July 22, 2024, Japan contributed US$2 million to support reproductive health and protection services for over 120,000 vulnerable women and girls in Yemen through UNFPA.

The conflict in Yemen has significantly weakened the healthcare system, with an estimated 5.5 million women of childbearing age, including pregnant and lactating women, facing severe challenges in accessing reproductive health services.

The contribution will help address these needs by providing medicines, medical supplies, and emergency obstetric care at six health facilities. Japan's contribution will also support four safe spaces and two shelters, offering psychosocial support, legal assistance, and livelihood opportunities to women and girls affected by violence and abuse.

On July 10, 2024, Japan announced a contribution of US$45 million to UNDP's core resources for 2024.

Japan's flexible support is vital for UNDP to address global challenges and crises, as outlined in the UNDP Strategic Plan 2022–2025. The funding will contribute to crisis prevention, conflict resolution, peace sustainability, human rights protection, and addressing the root causes of fragility within the context of human security.

Core resources from Japan and other partners are essential for UNDP’s operations, enabling impactful initiatives and programs that promote poverty eradication, gender equality, and the SDGs. These contributions ensure that UNDP can deliver on its mission to create a more equitable and prosperous world, leaving no one behind.