Tokyo Games Issues Message On Gender Equality
The Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics organizing committee issued a statement on its website on Sunday on its president Mori Yoshiro's remarks about female board members which drew international criticism. The message states that gender equality is one of the basic principles of the Tokyo Games.
Mori said last week that board meetings with women take too long because they talk too much.
In the message titled "Tokyo 2020 and Gender Equality," the organizing committee quoted Mori as saying, "My recent remarks at the JOC Council meeting were inappropriate and also contrary to the Olympic and Paralympic spirit."
Mori was also quoted as saying, "I deeply regret my comments and would like to sincerely apologize to anyone whom I have offended."
The committee said its core vision includes "diversity and harmony" and that gender equality is a basic principle of the Tokyo Games. It said the games will be the most gender equal one ever held.
The committee added, "Tokyo 2020 reaffirms our vision, and will continue the Games operations with the aim of improving society, respecting, celebrating and embracing the variety of individuals and diversity: the dimension of diversity includes race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation," among others.