NNWN/05-02-2021

Human Rights Watch has taken a strong note of  controversial remarks of president of the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee and former prime minister Yoshiro Mori on women. He said " women talk too much" in response to a question about increasing gender diversity on the Japanese Olympic Committee board, 

“If we increase the number of female board members, we have to make sure their speaking time is restricted somewhat, they have difficulty finishing,” Mori reportedly said at the committee meeting. “We have about seven women on the organizing committee but everyone understands their place.”

The Japan Olympic Committee and the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, which Mori chairs, have an important role to play when it comes to gender equality and stopping abuse of athletes in sport. Women in Japan are grossly underrepresented in sports federation leadership, stated the HRW.

Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee said that Olympic hosts must “prohibit any form of discrimination,” including on grounds of sex.