Female leaders from African countries attending an international conference in Tokyo have stressed the need to take measures to ensure a stable food supply.

The first Asia Pacific Africa Women's Economic Exchange Summit opened on Monday. The conference was organized by a Japanese organization supporting African nations. Participants include female leaders from seven African countries, such as Uganda and Malawi and Japanese lawmakers.

The University of Tokyo says it will hire more than 300 female professors and associate professors over the next six years.

The university aims to raise the percentage of women in its faculty to at least 25 percent by fiscal year 2027. But the number was hovering around 16 percent as of May this year.

The ratio of women who hold senior positions at companies in Japan has inched up, but remains far below the government's target.

Credit research firm Teikoku Databank conducted a nationwide survey in July and nearly 12,000 firms responded.