Selection of Fuji Oil Holdings for the MSCI Japan Empowering Women Index (WIN)

Fuji Oil Holdings was selected for the MSCI Japan Empowering Women Index (WIN), a new index for ESG-oriented investment developed by MSCI Inc.

MSCI is a US firm listed on the New York Stock Exchange. It is a leading company in the area of ESG research, and provides studies and rankings related to corporate approaches to the environment, society, and governance for over 6,000 firms around the world.

The MSCI Japan Empowering Women Index (WIN) covers companies ranking in the top 500 in terms of aggregate market value (the MSCI Japan IMI Top 500 Index). It consists of companies selected for their excellence in respect of gender diversity in their industry, based on their gender diversity score in a system newly developed by MSCI. It applies MSCI’s ESG research, which is the world’s largest, and expertise in index development. Companies deemed to have committed very serious improprieties of any type, or serious improprieties in the areas of human rights and worker’s rights, are excluded from it.
It is thought that companies promoting a high level of gender diversity in the workplace will be able to provide earnings on a sustained basis into the long term, because they will be better able to adapt to the risk of a future shortage of human resources along with the decrease in Japan’s population.
Hiroshi Shimizu, President and CEO of Fuji Oil Holdings, endorsed the “Declaration on Action” by “A Group of Male Leaders Who Will Create a Society in Which Women Shine.” This added impetus to efforts by the Fuji Oil Group to nurture the growth of female employees and provide them with opportunities, toward the goal of having women account for at least 20 percent of all our managerial positions in Japan by fiscal 2020.

* A Group of Male Leaders Who Will Create a Society in Which Women Shine
The Meeting for Supporting Women to Shine held on March 28, 2014 at the Prime Minister’s Office led to the spread of a nationwide movement by leaders in various industries to support women who want to shine or are shining in various fields. In this situation, male leaders of companies that have been actively promoting the empowerment of women formulated the “Declaration on Action” by “A Group of Male Leaders Who Will Create a Society in Which Women Shine.”

Under the leadership of its top management layer, Fuji Oil has adopted the three agenda of the Declaration, i.e., “taking action and sending messages ourselves,” “disrupting the status quo,” and “developing networking.” It has instated a variety of supporting programs, as exemplified by a program to encourage male employees to take leave for childcare, a career-building seminar for female employees in their 20s, and another seminar on childcare for these employees. In recognition of these full systemic arrangements, Fuji Oil was awarded the Kurumin Mark for three consecutive years. This Mark certifies that the company in question is supporting the childcare efforts of its employees.
In fiscal 2016, Fuji Oil was selected as one of the top ten companies that are certified as leading companies for women’s empowerment by the City of Osaka and are continuing with progressive or steady efforts as such. It also received the Award for Excellence from Osaka.

In the future as well, the Fuji Oil Group is committed to further promotion of diversity, including women’s empowerment, in order to achieve sustainable growth in society.

[References]
・MSCI Japan Empowering Women Index (WIN)
https://support.msci.com/web/msci/msci-japan-empowering-women-index-jp
(English website) https://support.msci.com/web/msci/msci-japan-empowering-women-index

・”Hitozukuri” (fostering people) in the Fuji Oil Group
http://www.fujioilholdings.com/approach/human.html
(English website) http://www.fujioilholdings.com/en/approach/human.html