■ Selected as a Nadeshiko Brand for the Fifth Consecutive Year
Sojitz Corporation (“Sojitz”) has been named a “Nadeshiko Brand 2021” company, a designation that recognizes Sojitz as a listed enterprise for its exceptional work to promote the success of women in the workplace. This year marks the fifth consecutive year Sojitz has received this designation.

In a business climate characterized by accelerated change, Sojitz considers the empowerment of women and all diverse employees to be essential for achieving mid- to long-term growth as a company. For this reason, senior management has continued to emphasize the message of diversity and inclusion to lead the way in fostering greater understanding among employees, including among managers.

Promoting Women in the Workplace
Sojitz believes it is important to offer professional development opportunities and to create an environment in which all employees, regardless of gender, can set ambitious career goals and realize their full potential. Sojitz seeks to support all employees through a multifaceted approach of initiatives, including balancing work and childcare, strengthening skills for team management to allow diverse employees to excel, and promoting different working styles.

Support for Working Parents During Covid-19
Sojitz has created an environment in which employees can work flexibly to accommodate childcare needs, particularly employees who have children at home due to school closures during Covid-19. Sojitz not only offers special paid leave for childcare during Covid-19, but also special measures that allow for shortened telework hours (fewer hours than the option of reduced working hours) to prepare an employee for a gradual return to the office following maternity/childcare leave.

Results of Recent Initiatives

Percentage of female new graduates hired	FY2016 21.9％ ⇒ FY2021 45.3％
Percentage of female management-level employees	FY2016 2.5％ (year-end results) ⇒ FY2020 5.4％ (year-end results)
Number of employees to utilize the early return policy*	Total: 6 (This total represents 15% of those returning from childcare leave between Oct. 2019 and May 2021)

*Early return policy: Implemented in October 2019, this Sojitz policy aids female employees who wish to return to the office before their child is 9 months by fully subsidizing daycare costs up until the child turns 1 year old.

In addition, Sojitz will appoint its first female executive officer from April 1, 2021.

■ Diversity as a Competitive Advantage:
Initiatives and Targets for the Mid -to Long-Term Leading up to 2030

In order to promote women in the workplace to further enhance the company’s competitiveness, Sojitz will continue to build an environment in which women can naturally excel over the mid- to long-term. By supporting the active development of its employees at each stage of their careers, Sojitz aims to increase the number of female employees in senior decision-making roles at the company.

In the new medium-term management plan to begin from April, Sojitz will continue its ongoing diversity initiatives and policies as well as accelerate the promotion of women in the workplace through the establishment of medium-term and long-term objectives.

● Sojitz aims to increase the percentage of female employees to approximately 50% during the 2030s, creating a corporate culture in which all employees—regardless of gender—can excel and work with greater autonomy.
● In future, Sojitz will expand the scope of women’s roles within the company, increasing the number of female employees in decision-making positions.
Sojitz will create a leadership pipeline with women at each career stage and will continue to support female employees in acquiring experience to realize their career objectives.

Sojitz has announced an action plan that includes the aforementioned targets for promoting women for FY2021 through FY2023 based on Japan’s Act on Promotion of Women’s Participation and Advancement in the Workplace.

Going forward, Sojitz will continue to maximize the strengths of a diverse workforce and pursue sustainable growth to increase its corporate value.

[Related Information]
[Sojitz Initiatives and Policies]
■ Promoting Women in the Workplace
■ Action Plan for Promoting Women in the Workplace (FY2021-FY2023)
■ Sojitz’s Human Resources

[METI News Release]
■ METI：Announcement of the FY2020 Nadeshiko Brands and Semi-Nadeshiko Brands
METI and TSE have jointly selected 45 TSE-listed enterprises as Nadeshiko Brands and 19 enterprises as Semi-Nadeshiko Brands.
https://www.meti.go.jp/policy/economy/jinzai/diversity/nadeshiko.html