We are delighted to announce that today Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. (President & CEO: Masahiro Kihara) and four other Mizuho group companies1 have received the top rating of gold in the PRIDE Index. The index was created by voluntary organization "work with Pride" to evaluate companies' initiatives for their LGBT+ employees. This is the sixth year2 in a row for our five Mizuho group companies to receive the gold rating.
Mizuho aims to create a workplace in which LGBT+ employees can work with the same sense of security and peace of mind as any of their colleagues. To that end, we have put in place human resources systems, social welfare systems, and consultation centers to better meet the needs of our diverse workforce. We have been proactively engaged in raising the awareness of all employees, through efforts such as periodically implementing training on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) harassment and conducting a survey to assess the actual circumstances of LGBT+ and ally employees at Mizuho. Also, the members of our internal network for LGBT+ and ally employees have taken a lead role in holding events where they can share their thoughts and experiences with fellow employees. These initiatives demonstrate that we have developed a corporate culture in which employees can independently promote further understanding of the LGBT+ community.
As an organization that strives to support the LGBT+ community at large, we continue to work toward realizing an inclusive society. Since FY2021, we have set out the message of "We will take action", and have collaborated with voluntary organizations and other companies in our industry who share this mindset. These collaborations have led to initiatives such as the production and release of a short animated movie exploring the diversity of family relationships. The movie can be accessed via the link below (Japanese language only).
https://pridehouse.jp/news/1559/
We are committed to providing products and services that meet the diverse needs of our customers and society. For example, in 2017 Mizuho Bank, Ltd. became the first Japanese bank to include same-sex partners within the definition of "spouse" applied to joint repayments and combined income calculations for housing loans. In the same year, Mizuho Trust & Banking Co., Ltd. began allowing same-sex partners to be named as beneficiaries in a personalized trust product.
We will continue to be an organization where every employee can express their individuality and positively contribute to developing solutions for our customers and society. Accordingly, we will promote diversity and inclusion, proactively reflect the varied perspectives and ideas of our employees in our business development and decision-making, and, in turn, create new corporate value in the form of innovative products and improved services.
PRIDE Index Gold Rating
1: Mizuho Bank, Ltd.; Mizuho Trust & Banking Co., Ltd.; Mizuho Securities Co., Ltd.; and Mizuho Research & Technologies, Ltd.
2: Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. has received the top rating of gold for seven years in a row.