Beyond the glass ceiling

In October of 2025, the first female Prime Minister of Japan was appointed, marking a historic milestone for the gender equality movement. This event signifies the first female leader in over 140 years of Japanese political history.

This phenomenon seems to be breaking the glass ceiling in Japan's older, male-dominated political society. Japanese female leaders are now facing a new vision beyond the glass ceiling.

Among Japanese geoscience societies, the female president of the Japan Geoscience Union (JpGU) and the Geological Society of Japan (JGS) has not yet been raised. The JGS was established in 1893 and celebrated its 130th anniversary in 2023, having a similar longevity to the Japanese parliament. The first EDI committee of JGS was established in 1995 to promote women in geoscience. Since that time, such EDI committees/WG of JGS and JpGU have continued their efforts to encourage women's involvement by implementing measures such as conducting surveys, setting up a childcare room during the conference for participants with children, and arranging research exchange meetings among female scientists; however, no remarkable progress has been achieved.

The turning/breaking point came in 2018, when we began collaborating with colleagues from the EGU and the AGU to organize sessions promoting EDI. International collaboration on EDI, whether formal or informal (e.g., several online meetings led by Dr. Claudia JESUS-RYDIN), has provided us with diverse perspectives and strongly fostered the development of initiatives, thereby advancing EDI in the Earth sciences. For example, the EDI logo was introduced at the EGU 2021 General Assembly, the JpGU Meeting 2021, and the 2023 JGS annual meeting. Later, the ECS logo was introduced in Japan as well.

In this challenging age of accelerating global warming and frequent disasters, the role of geoscience research and researchers is crucial. Although our cultures, customs, values, and languages differ, recognizing these differences while transcending them to respect one another and work together is undoubtedly a critical key to overcoming these difficulties. This requires steady and consolidated international collaboration among Earth scientists, working hand in hand beyond various barriers and ceilings.

In Japan, the glass ceiling has first broken down at the top of the political field, long considered the most lagging in women's participation (one of the reasons cited for Japan being ranked worst (118th) among G7 nations in the Gender Gap Index 2025), and society is moving slowly forward with perspectives different from the old ways and through unexpected procedures.

Beyond the glass ceiling lie new challenges; however, if we continue to strive forward while upholding the spirit of Equity/Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) with our colleagues, we will see a new horizon.