Record number of new female officials to join state ministries

[ShintoCanadianmale]

Record number of new female officials to join state ministries

Tuesday 28th October, 04:22 AM JST

TOKYO —

A record number of 169 women will join state ministries and agencies as top-level ‘‘career’’ bureaucrats in the next fiscal year from April, the government said Monday. Among the new employees for fiscal 2009, women will account for 25.6%, also the highest percentage ever, according to the government.

‘‘It’s not good enough,’’ Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura told reporters. ‘‘We welcome a further increase in female top bureaucrats.’’ Of the new female bureaucrats, 25 will join the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, which will hire 83 new officials in total next fiscal year, and 20 will work for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which will employ 114 in total.

Record number of new female officials to join state ministries