Equality for all in our everyday life - our past activities

For International Women's Day, we are happy to share a video message on gender equality. In this video, co-workers at IKEA Japan and the CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer, Petra Färe, give their perspectives on the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion to achieve a society where everyone is equal at home and in the workplace.

“A better life begins with the creation of an equal home” - Mikako Tanaka (IKEA Yokohama Communications & Interiors Manager)

“In July 2021, the proportion of female managers at IKEA Japan reached 51%. This is an incredibly high number in Japan, but it's certainly nothing special in itself.” Tamae Asayama (IKEA Japan Country People and Culture Manager)

• This year, as part of our efforts to promote gender equality, IKEA is taking part in "SDGs in Everyday Life " project (The Yomiuri Shimbun) that support children's education, which is one of the key sustainable development goals (SDGs).As a business founded in Sweden, a country known for its progressive stance on gender equality, IKEA has been involved in the production of a pamphlet titled “SDGs exploring book - Let's talk about Gender Equality” (The Yomiuri Shimbun Education Network Office), aimed at elementary and middle school students to encourage them to think about what they can do to improve gender equality in their everyday life at home and at school. This pamphlet includes examples from Sweden and initiatives undertaken by IKEA to create inclusive environments that embrace diversity in the workplace, in businesses and society, in order to explain gender equality in a way that can be easily understood by schoolchildren. IKEA hopes that by reading this pamphlet, many people, regardless of gender, will find tips on things that they can do to help bring about gender equality in society, and provoke them into considering gender equality as a personal problem to them, too. In December this year, roughly 70,000 copies of this pamphlet are planned to be distributed to approximately 160 elementary, middle and high schools across Japan. See the digital version here. 

IKEA held three special classes on the theme of gender equality at three different elementary schools to coincide with Human Rights Day. The young students are encouraged to think about gender equality as a problem that they should be personally invested in.

Here's what some of the students had to say:​

​“I understand the importance of moving towards a society where everyone can live equally, no matter what their gender, nationality or race is.” “I think we have to make a society where people aren't "girly" or "manly", but can just be themselves instead.”

​“Even if someone thinks differently to me, I want to respect their opinion. Also, I want to become someone who recognises that we are equal as people, and who can value the people around them.”

“I'm male, so I probably won't encounter much prejudice. But I think that's all the more reason that I can't just say 'it doesn't matter'. Instead I have to be proactive and do something about it. I think it's a shame that men have a hard time taking part in looking after kids, and I want to bear that in mind in the future.”

“I've really got the impression that certain people aren't more or less suited to certain roles; everybody who's been born is equal.”

“I think we can make gender equality a reality by making places where men and women aren't segregated but can accomplish the same things. Whether they want to do it or not is up to the individual, but I think we'll come a bit closer to gender equality in Japan if we can set up places where they can accomplish the same things.”

“I thought a lot about what we can do right now about problems in society.” ​