*Subtitles: Choose “Subtitles/CC” in the “Settings” (gear icon) at the bottom right of the YouTube video.
*Subtitles may not show with multiple languages or overlapping audio.

In this session1, female leaders from education and local governments sector are gathering. In an industry where men have had traditionally dominated organization, we’ll share perspectives with a mayor and principals who are leading the way in creating education and city development. We’ll also gather the voices from women working at local cities, Ochanomizu University and other people from Japan and overseas.
With an online voting system, we will explore ways to solve problems and declare actions for the future.

【Reflection】
This session invited speakers representing three fields: education, politics, and regional revitalization. The speakers and participants exchanged many opinions on the theme of "What kind of education and city do female leaders aim for?" and made a declaration of action together with facilitator Sachiko HABU.
The session began with a presentation of the results of a survey called "100 Voices" conducted by students from Ochanomizu University. This presentation was designed to identify differences in awareness between the adult generation and Generation Z with the aim of fostering mutual understanding across generations.
In the field of education, vice president of Kyoto University, Kyoko Inagaki and Shinjuku Aijitsu Elementary School Principal, Mutsuko Mizuno took to the stage. Students expressed their desire to learn more about finance and politics at school, under the title "They don't have the education I want!" In response, Inagaki declared that she aims for a future academia that fosters collaboration not only within the university but also with the local community and businesses. Mizuno declared that she aims to "achieve a 50% female principal ratio."
Kyoko Morisawa, Mayor of Shinagawa Tokyo, and Hikari Iwahashi, Chair of the JCEC, who represented politics and local area. Students announced that "80% of female students feel that politics cannot be played equally by men and women," and "80% of female students feel that there are no female role models in their local area." In response, Morisawa said, "I want to convey that politics is fun and rewarding even for women!" and Iwahashi said, "We adults should say more often that becoming adults is fun!", reaffirming the need for positive behavior from the adult generation.
In a real-time online survey conducted at this event, honest opinions were expressed, such as, "The most difficult thing about being in a men's organization is (1st place) the men's mindset is outdated and it's hard to point it out" and (2nd place) "I end up adapting to the way the men behave and speak."
A major achievement was the realization that by exchanging opinions between different fields such as universities, elementary schools, politics, and regional revitalization, which do not usually cross boundaries, the networks and knowledge that each field possesses can enhance each other.

【Post EXPO Initiatives】
Through the "WA812" sessions at this Expo, I would like to continue three initiatives.
First, many projects on the gender gap and women's empowerment tend to be discussed and explored in depth within the same field, such as politics or education. However, the success of this session has shown us that it is important to "cross over different fields and share the knowledge and aspirations of leaders."
The second point is that the adult generation should listen more to the voices of the younger generation (those not yet in the workforce, such as university students). While there is a tendency to respect the voices of Generation Z in terms of marketing and business opportunities, the perspective of how the younger generation views adults is often overlooked. Having learned the importance of frank discussions with each other, I would like to keep this attitude.
Finally, I would like to emphasize the importance of surveys and systems that allow everyone to voice their opinions equally, without making simplistic distinctions between so-called "experts" and "ordinary people." What was distinctive about this session was that the speakers and participants were able to exchange opinions on an equal footing.
I would like to put these declarations into practice, including increasing the number of women in leadership positions in the education sector, changing conventions in politics to allow men and women to play equal roles, and focusing on "what we have, not what we don't have" in regional revitalization.