Manulife Japan recognizes the critical importance of bringing more women into its organization and enhancing their capability to develop, advance, and grow their representation in leadership levels. Historically, there have been deep-rooted cultural norms that have prevented women’s equitable participation at all levels of the company. In response to this challenging reality, Manulife Japan developed an initiative in 2013 to recruit, retain, and advance women. The company focuses on developing women employees through a three-pronged approach of training, career support, and networking, and supplements programs to help women advance with cultural change efforts, including a strong focus on work-life effectiveness.