Statement on the Japan - UK Women's Economic Empowerment Seminar

9th February 2025

Japan hosted a virtual seminar for British women entrepreneurs, investors, and business owners seeking to increase trade and investment with Japan.

On 6 February 2025, with the support of the Department for Business and Trade, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a virtual seminar for UK women entrepreneurs, investors, and business owners seeking to increase trade and investment with Japan.

This continues an ongoing series of collaborative activities between the UK and Japan to uphold the commitments set out in the Women's Economic Empowerment chapter of the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). It supports the delivery of the joint commitment to enhancing women's ability to fully access and benefit from the opportunities created by this Agreement, and to reduce the systemic barriers faced by women seeking to trade internationally.

During the seminar, participants heard from Japanese government and non-government led organisations about programmes and initiatives that support women in trade. These included the Japanese Cabinet Office, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Japan External Trade Organization. They shared valuable information on the Japanese market and the support and tools available to British women entrepreneurs, business owners and investors interested in growing their businesses by expanding, exporting to and investing in the Japanese market.

The audience also heard from the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan on the support it can provide on navigating differences in business customs, as well as from two Japanese venture capital firms: ANRI, focused on seed stage investments, having a track record of supporting female-founded startups in IT and DeepTech, and NEXTBLUE, dedicated to empowering women founders in the field of women's wellbeing. These venture capital firms offered their support for the expansion of UK female-led companies.

The audience also heard directly from two British women business owners and entrepreneurs. The CEOs of Celtic English Academy and Evolve Organic Beauty shared valuable insights on their experiences of entering and successfully trading in the education and retail markets in Japan.

Increasing women's participation in the economy not only strengthens gender equality but also holds huge potential in boosting economic growth. Through the effective implementation of the women's economic empowerment provisions in the UK's trade agreement with Japan, we seek to uphold gender equality by ensuring that women business owners and entrepreneurs interested in expanding their business by entering new markets have sufficient knowledge of the opportunities and benefits on offer to them.

The UK has successfully included trade and gender equality provisions in newly negotiated Free Trade Agreements including with Japan, Australia and New Zealand, and will continue working with trading partners to explore and develop the best strategies and practices to break down barriers to trade for women, support the fair and open trade and benefit the wider UK economy.

In the lead up to the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, the UK will continue a programme of engagement with Japan. Further, the UK will be showcasing its work on diversity and inclusion at the UK Pavilion, including the work we are doing on gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.

Earlier
On 10 July 2024, the UK and Japan hosted a hybrid seminar for Japanese women entrepreneurs, investors, and business owners seeking to increase trade and investment with the UK.

This continues an ongoing series of collaborative activities to uphold our commitments set out in the Women’s Economic Empowerment chapter of the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). It supports the delivery of our joint recognition on the importance of sharing diverse experiences to reduce the systemic barriers faced by women seeking to trade internationally.

During the seminar, participants heard from UK and Japanese government and non-government led programmes and initiatives providing services for women in trade. This included the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Japan External Trade Organization, which shared valuable advice on the support available to female entrepreneurs.

Speakers from the Organisation of Women in International Trade, the Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade and UK Business Angels Association, all provided insights into how women can effectively access finance, skills and information to successfully trade internationally.

The Department of Business and Trade was delighted to hear directly from Japanese female-led enterprises on their experiences entering the UK market. This included the CEO of datagusto, inc. the first Japanese female entrepreneur chosen by HMG for the Global Entrepreneur Programme.

Increasing women’s participation in the economy not only strengthens gender equality but holds huge potential in boosting economic growth. Trade can dramatically improve women’s lives, creating new jobs, enhancing consumer choices, and increasing women’s bargaining power in society. The UK has successfully included trade and gender equality provisions in FTAs including Japan, EEA/EFTA, Australia, and New Zealand. We will continue to proactively cooperate with our partners to break down barriers to trade for women.

In the lead up to the Osaka World Expo 2025, we look forward to future events that will continue our programme of engagement with Japan to strengthen trade and women’s economic empowerment. At the Expo, the UK will be looking to showcase its work on diversity and inclusion at the UK pavilion, including the work we are doing on gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.

For more information on the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership