The Centre for Japanese Research is excited to present a talk on “Diverse Citizenship in East Asian Democracies” with Dr. Jackie F. Steele.
About the Talk
Japan, Korea, and Taiwan are facing shifting public attitudes on gender, LGBTQ rights, and diversity—yet Japan’s political institutions remain resistant to change. Drawing on six years of comparative research from the WonDER Network, Dr. Jackie F. Steele will explore why Japan lags behind its East Asian counterparts in advancing diversity policies despite strong public support.
This talk will examine elite attitudes, party structures, and policy roadblocks that contribute to Japan’s ongoing gender and inclusion gaps. It will also highlight how persistent inequalities impact Japan’s economy, workforce, and global competitiveness.
Moderated by Professor Yves Tiberghien, the event will conclude with a Q&A session, inviting discussion on how political and corporate leaders can foster greater democratic innovation and inclusion in Japan and beyond.
About the Speaker
Dr. Jackie F. Steele is a trilingual political scientist, author, and international speaker who has taught at leading universities, including the University of Ottawa and Simon Fraser University in Canada and was an associate professor at the University of Tokyo and Nagoya Graduate Law School. She has published over thirty academic works, is a long-time collaborator of the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo, and is an advisor to UN conferences focused on gender equality, diversity, and disaster/crisis risk governance. As founder and CEO of enjoi Japan K.K. and enjoi Innovation Inc (Vancouver), Dr. Steele has guided corporate leaders on diversity and equity for innovation (DEI) as a holistic and evidence-based business strategy integrating intersectional equity, and for which APAC Entrepreneur selected her as one of the “Most Inspiring Japanese Entrepreneurs 2021”.
Between April 2022 to March 2023, she served as Senior DEI Business Partner for Amazon Japan G.K., building their first holistic DEI strategy. In her civic life, Jackie sits on the UTokyo and OUP-hosted SSJJ International Editorial Board, she serves as President of FEW Japan supporting diverse women’s empowerment, and she invests in intersectional feminist enterprise innovations with Coralus Global. She is a longtime advocate on LGBTQ rights and queer entrepreneurs in Japan and Canada, recognized by Youtube x INvolve among Top 100 OUTstanding Executives in Japan in 2023. Jackie is the mother of two beautiful kids who inspire her to keep fighting for greater democratic innovation in support of the creative potential and freedom of all diverse humans.
