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The Women’s Forum Kyoto was held in Kyoto, Japan and focused on the topic of developing female leadership in the fight against global climate change. The event’s Russian delegate consisted of Deputy CEO of the Roscongress Foundation, Director of the Innosocium Foundation and Member of the Eurasian Women’s Forum Elena Marinina, as well as Corporate Director of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI) Elena Myakotnikova. Participation in the Women’s Forum Kyoto marks the first joint undertaking between the Innosocium Foundation for Social Development and ASI. Joint participation in the event was part of the implementation of an agreement, signed at SPIEF 2019, which outlined plans to work together to support female entrepreneurship and social initiatives.

The Women’s Forum Kyoto consisted of a closed roundtable discussion and an open forum attended by representatives from government and public organizations, as well as international business. At the roundtable discussion, speakers shared their ideas and experience in five main areas: the connection between issues of climate change and gender equality, innovation in the field of ecology through education, investments in gender equality and entrepreneurship in the field of ecology, women in the energy sector, and the use of gender-differentiated statistical data.

The representatives of the Russian delegate stated that the most critical factor in determining female participation in the economy is education, since changes in the professional topography no longer permit limiting oneself to a narrow set of skills and abilities.

«Access to education, involving women in high tech and the humanities, and the development of entrepreneurial skills are essential requirements that define gender equality and enable women to conduct a more active fight against the issues of climate change,» said Elena Marinina, Deputy CEO of the Roscongress Foundation, and Director of the Innosocium Foundation.

The roundtable discussion concluded with the signing of a document uniting the participants in the Women Forum’s appeal to take measures against gender inequality and to address climate change. The document was presented to Prime Minister of Japan Shinzō Abe to include in the agenda for the G20 summit.

Governor of Tokyo Yuriko Koike delivered the welcoming speech at the Women’s Forum Kyoto. She stressed the importance of addressing issues of gender equality and climate change, also harkening back to the signing of the Kyoto Protocol and stressing Russia’s important role in the Protocol’s signing.

«It is especially important that this year, alongside issues of gender equality, the Forum’s agenda focused on interaction with youth movements and expanding participation of young people as well as women in the economic, social and public spheres. The Russian side has gained considerable and diverse experience in supporting young leaders. We have gladly shared this acquired experience with our G20 partners,» said Elena Myakotnikova, corporate director of ASI.

While in Tokyo, Elena Marinina met with Russian Ambassador to Japan Mikhail Galuzin. They discussed prospects for the development of Russian-Japanese cooperation on the social agenda and in particular the possibilities of organizing with Japanese partners a Women’s Forum on Social Welfare in Japan.

Participation of Roscongress Foundation representatives in the Women’s Forum Kyoto was a logical step in continuing the work in developing the women’s agenda, eliminating gender inequality, and strengthening the cooperation with international women’s communities — a cooperation which began in Tokyo at the Women20 (W20) summit in March of this year.

15.07.2019