The well-read newsletter GlobalProxyWatch, The Newsletter of International Corporate Governance and Shareowner Value, reported on the recent event on diversity in the board room that was held by the Canadian Chamber, organized by BDTI, and well-supported by others including the ACCJ and participation by McKinsey:
#WOB Japan: Japanese boards rank rock bottom on diversity among advanced markets with a scant 1% of women directors, according to GMI data. A whisper of change began at an October 3 seminar in Tokyo sponsored by the Board Director Training Institute of Japan, according to a summary published last week by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Japan, an attendee. Panelists discussed how board diversity is influenced by a 2011 government proposal for 30% female quotas in public offices. Women comprise only 11% of parliament despite a non-binding 30% goal for 2020 the government set in 2005.
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The Board Director Training Institute (BDTI) is a "public interest" nonprofit in Japan dedicated to training about directorship, corporate governance, and related management techniques. It is certified by the Japanese government to conduct these activities as a regulated nonprofit. Read a summary about BDTI here, and see a menu of its services for both corporations and investors here.