One of the best things about working at Breast Cancer Care is how successful, engaged with and useful  our lunch and learn sessions are. This one was run by Jo following her visit to Japan as part of the Community Core Leaders Development Programme.

  • Strong sense of community in Japan may be a factor in the lesser development of the charity sector there
  • Population changes have led to a need to develop the field
  • They’re at the beginning of the process, so marketing, comms and digital are still very under developed
  • Over 1/4 Japanese people are over 65, leading to an increase in health and social care needs
  • They are now starting to get western heath problems as well because of our dietary influence in their culture
  • The UK rank number 7 in charitable giving, versus 83 in Japan
  • Some recent natural disasters have opened up this dialogue, but there isn’t a culture of giving in the same way
  • Diversity leads to greater outcomes
  • Make the most of people’s individual talents
  • Japan doesn’t have a strong culture of diversity
  • Unpaid internships are a barrier to diversity
  • There’s value in partnerships with experts in each area of diversity
  • Need a system of continuous improvement
  • Measure success, set targets, aspire for quality marks
  • Making equality and diversity a human rights issue
  • Employees have a role in supporting diversity, peer support, sharing personal experience, advocacy
  • Be proud of progress and share success, inspiring others to follow
  • Be open to pushing your own boundaries
  • 70% of women in Japan leave work for good after having a child
  • There’s an opportunity in Japan to drive change in female leadership, they are working age and therefore needed in the face of an ageing population
  • In the UK, 68% of the charity workforce is female but only 43% of charities are led by women
  • Organisations can take practical measures: diversity policies, return to work training, job sharing and flexibility at senior levels
  • Create a set of principles to commit to internally
  • We may need to think about throwing out the rule book rather than fitting diversity into what we already do
  • The patriarchal view is perpetuated by women as well as men, it’s the responsibility of all of us
  • The CCLDP group created a female leadership charter, which they hope will influence change in their home country organisations: