Background

The global population of people aged 65 and over is projected to increase from 10% in 2022 to 16% in 2050.^*1

At the same time, women’s labor force participation is just under 47% globally, compared to 72% for men. In over half of all countries, more women than men are engaged in informal employment. Informal workers have fewer opportunities for promotion and wage increases than their formal counterparts, contributing to the low representation of women in management and the gender pay gap. The International Labour Organization (ILO) reported in 2022 that women are paid, on average, 20% less than men globally.^*2

Furthermore, an estimated 1 billion people (approximately 15% of the world’s population) live with some form of disability,^*3 and this proportion is increasing annually. In Japan, 11.6 million people live with disabilities.^*4 The number of people with disabilities employed reached a record high of 677,462 people in 2024 (a 5.5% increase from the previous year) ^*5 due to the widespread adoption of the “Mandatory Employment Rate System for Persons with Disabilities.” Nonetheless, these individuals still face limited job opportunities.

The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 8.5 aims to “achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value by 2030”. Achieving this goal requires us to build a sustainable society where everyone, including elderly individuals, women, and people with disabilities, is able to thrive utilizing their skills and unique abilities while living healthy and comfortable lives.

*1 World Population Prospects 2024 (United Nations) (Opens new window) >

*2 Pay transparency legislation: Implications for employers’ and workers’ organizations (International Labour Organization) (Opens new window) >

*3 ILO (Opens new window) >

*4 Trends in Welfare Administration and Services for Persons with Disabilities by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japanese only, opens new window) >

*5 Aggregate Results of the Employment Status of Persons with Disabilities, 2024 by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japanese only, opens new window) >

Our Strategy

Guided by LIXIL’s Purpose to make better homes a reality for everyone, everywhere, we are committed to delivering innovative products and services that meet our customers’ diverse needs. To make this a reality, it is essential to cultivate an environment where our diverse workforce can fully demonstrate their abilities with a steadfast customer-oriented approach.

Under the Global People Organization (GPO) mission to transform LIXIL into an innovative and inclusive community that empowers everyone, everywhere, our Global People Strategy focuses on three core pillars for strengthening our human capital: “Embed Inclusion into Our DNA,” “Elevate Talent across the Enterprise,” and “Enhance Employee Experience.” These pillars are closely linked to our Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Strategy.

Our D&I Strategy aims to embed a culture of inclusion across LIXIL and achieve gender equity by FYE2030. We recognize critical challenges, including the gender pay gap and the low ratio of female managers. In response, we have established an action plan and are implementing step-by-step measures to incorporate D&I perspectives into our human resources systems, talent development, and workplace environments.

This commitment was formalized with our D&I Declaration in FYE2018, followed by the establishment of a dedicated global D&I department in FYE2020. In FYE2021, the D&I Committee, initially chaired by the CEO and comprising executive officers and senior managers from corporate functions and business divisions, was formed. We also conducted an awareness survey targeted toward all employees to inform them of the strategic direction of our updated D&I Strategy. From FYE2025, the D&I promotion phase shifted from formulating company-wide strategies and measures to activities driven by each division; thus, we reorganized the D&I Committee into the D&I Council to advance further initiatives.

The broad perspectives and skills brought by a diverse workforce are a source of creativity essential for solving complex challenges and serve as the driving force for innovation. By continuously improving our workplace environments, we aim to enhance employee engagement, promote the acquisition and retention of top talent, and strengthen our long-term competitive edge.

LIXIL Global People Strategy (Opens new window) PDF: 17MB >
Fostering an Inclusive Culture >
Talent Development >
Enhancing Employee Experience >

Three-Phase Approach to Achieve Our Goals

Our employees are the primary driver of our value creation. By empowering them to realize their full potential, we foster innovation and cultivate diverse internal and external collaboration, thereby enabling us to meet evolving customer needs and support healthy, comfortable living, regardless of age, gender, or disability.

To bring this vision to life, LIXIL is helping accelerate the shift toward a more inclusive society within the company, across the entire value chain, and throughout society. We are promoting these initiatives across three phases: Our Operations, Our Value Chain, and Expanding Our Impact.

1. Our Operations
   By embedding inclusion into our leadership behaviors and employee lifecycle, we aim to create “A home for everyone” for our team members, an empowering and inclusive culture that fosters belonging and innovation, and an environment where every employee can thrive.
2. Our Value Chain
   Leveraging user-centric innovation and strategic partnerships enables us to deliver inclusive, differentiated, premium solutions that anticipate global demographic shifts—such as aging societies—capturing emerging market segments and driving sustainable growth. For example, LIXIL offers differentiated proposals by integrating features that address accessibility needs, such as height-adjustable kitchens tailored to users and electric-opening front-door systems. We also provide solutions designed for an aging society. Moreover, partnerships are essential for delivering differentiated products and services, and LIXIL creates value through them.
3. Expanding Our Impact
   By strengthening a pipeline of diverse skilled tradespeople and collaborating with community partners, we can cultivate a resilient ecosystem that future-proofs the industry and advances inclusive living spaces for all. Skilled workers, such as plumbers and installers, play a central role in advancing public sanitation and economic growth by introducing energy- and water-saving technologies, yet they face a severe labor shortage. We support and nurture the skill development of current and next-generation skilled workers of all ages, genders, and backgrounds, providing opportunities for them to thrive. At the same time, we provide education and awareness-building activities in collaboration with local partners, aiming to deepen society’s overall understanding of inclusive design and accessibility.

Working to Realize an Inclusive Society >

Governance Structure

The D&I Council, composed of senior managers from corporate functions and business divisions, convenes biannually to review and guide our D&I measures, engages in dialogue to advance initiatives, and shares best practices. Council discussions and deliberations are reported to the Board of Executive Officers quarterly through the Impact Strategy Committee. The Board of Executive Officers passes resolutions as needed. The Board of Directors receives semiannual progress reports, discusses developments, and supervises progress in this area to ensure effective oversight and accountability.

D&I Governance Structure

As of April 2026

Targets and Progress

The targets and current progress in relation to KPIs are as follows:

*1 As of March 31.

*2 These include directly hired employees only, excluding those working at consolidated subsidiaries with 100 or fewer employees in Japan.

*3 These include new graduate and post-graduate hires who joined LIXIL Corporation on April 1 of the following fiscal year.