Ms. YANAGISAWA Kae, Councillor of the Kyoto Peacebuilding Center.

Former Japanese Ambassador to Malawi and Former Vice President of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

YANAGISAWA Kae shared her observation that in many countries the term “gender” remains foreign as it is not translated in local languages. She also pointed out the dual structure of societies - pursuing gender equality in formal settings, while keeping traditional norms, religions and culture that hinder women’s empowerment – makes it difficult to achieve universal values such as eradication of discrimination and respect of human rights. In terms of cultural diplomacy, she regrated the scarcity of budget and proposed a shift towards developing countries where there are a growing number of competitors and enhancing understanding on Japan is in dire need.