Diversity as a “critical ingredient for success,” according to OECD Executive Director Ms. Josée Touchette

“We are very proud that the Sasakawa Peace Foundation is trying to promote the empowerment of women in many areas,” said Mr. Tanaka. “Today I am happy to listen to Madame Touchette talk about her expertise, her experiences, and how she made the OECD an organization that’s very much open to women, and successful women especially.”

Since 2017, Ms. Touchette has served as an Executive Director of the OECD, overseeing overall corporate strategic directions encompassing financial and human resources management, internal communication, and other operational services. Before joining the OECD, she held a range of positions in the Canadian government including Chief Operating Officer at the National Energy Board, Assistant Deputy Minister at the Department of National Defence, and positions in the Canadian International Development Agency.

Throughout her remarks at SPF, Ms. Touchette outlined the ways that women continue to face significant headwinds in the workplace. According to OECD statistics, women still hold less than 5% of CEO positions globally and – in addition to being paid less overall – women continue to carry the bulk of unpaid caregiving work. “At the current rates of progress, it will take 108 years to close the gender gap and 202 years to achieve parity in the workforce. Even with the longevity rates in Japan, these are statistics that are a little bit frightening,” she said.