The University of Hyogo has been certified by Hyogo Prefecture and Kobe City as a Hyogo Kobe Women\\\'s Activity Promotion Company. and A certification ceremony (Mimosa Forum) was held on March 10 (Fri.) at the Hyogo Prefectural Government Building, at which Vice President Sakashita of the University received a certificate from Governor Saito and Kobe Vice Mayor Hisamoto on behalf of the University.
The Hyogo Kobe Women\\\'s Activity Promotion Enterprise (Mimosa Enterprise) certification system was jointly established by Hyogo Prefecture and Kobe City in November 2022 to certify companies that are working to create a workplace environment that is easy for everyone to work in, and to foster the promotion and retention of women. The first round of certification was awarded to 70 companies in the prefecture.
To be certified, organizations must fulfill at least 14 of the 20 criteria across four key pillars: organizational commitment, career development support, promotion of women’s participation, and enhancement of retention.
Through the promotion and establishment of this system, we aim to enhance the appeal of the University and further promote SDGs and diversity.

The mimosa depicted in the certification mark shown at the beginning of this article symbolizes International Women’s Day (March 8), established by the United Nations. It reflects the system\\\'s mission of supporting companies actively fostering workplaces where women can thrive.

At the Mimosa Forum, Governor Saito and Vice Mayor Ohara gave opening remarks, followed by the certificate awarding ceremony. After that, Ms. Kae Ishikawa (Director, UN Women Liaison Office in Japan) gave a keynote speech on “Gender Equality and Women\\\’s Empowerment: The Role Companies Need to Play to Achieve the SDGs”. In this context, gender equality is important to build a sustainable future. Gender equality is at the heart of the SDGs, and if it is not achieved, the reality and realization of all goals will be jeopardized. He introduced the Women\\\’s Empowerment Principles, stating that promoting gender equality and women\\\’s empowerment as the core of management is business itself. This was followed by presentations by certified companies on their efforts in terms of hardware, software, and skills, and a talk session.