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, a higher percentage of women are in informal employment than men. Informal workers have fewer opportunities for promotion and raises compared to their formal counterparts, which contributes to the low representation of women in management and the gender pay gap. The International Labour Organization (ILO) reported in 2022 that women globally are paid, on average, 20% less than men.^*2

Furthermore, an estimated one billion people, or about 15% of the world's population, live with some form of disability,^*3 and this proportion is increasing annually. In Japan, there are 11.6 million people with disabilities.^*4 Although the number of people with disabilities employed reached a record high of 67.7 million 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,” they still face limited job opportunities.

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

*1 World Population Prospects 2022: Summary of Results (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 of Welfare Administration and Services for the 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 for FY2023 by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japanese only, opens new window) >

Our Strategy

LIXIL is committed to delivering innovative products and services that meet the diverse needs of our customers, making better homes a reality for everyone, everywhere. We remain steadfastly customer-oriented and dedicated to innovation and sustainable growth. To fulfill our Purpose, we strive to create a fair and inclusive environment that brings out the potential of our diverse workforce, reflecting our commitment to D&I.

We formalized this commitment 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 towards all employees to inform the strategic direction of our updated D&I Strategy.

Recognizing the evolving needs of our organization, we reorganized the D&I Committee into the D&I Council in FYE2025. This council, now composed entirely of division heads, ensures that D&I initiatives are directly tailored and driven by each division's specific context and needs, fostering robust discussions and accelerated implementations across the organization.

Our D&I Strategy aims to embed a culture of inclusion across LIXIL and achieve gender equity by FYE2030. We acknowledge critical challenges, including the gender pay and the underrepresentation of female managers. To address these areas, we have established a robust action plan to systemically integrate D&I perspectives into our personnel systems, human resource development programs, and workplace environments.

Our D&I Strategy is deeply integrated with our Global People Strategy focusing on three core pillars for strengthening our human capital: “Embed inclusion into LIXIL’s DNA”, "Elevate talent across the enterprise”, and “Enhance Employee Experience".

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

A key initiative in this effort is our commitment to creating an inclusive society through our business. We develop and deliver water and housing products and services that incorporate universal design (UD) elements which are easy for everyone to use.

Learn more about LIXIL’s Global People Strategy (Opens new window) PDF: 16MB>
Learn more about Fostering an Inclusive Culture >
Learn more about Talent Development >
Learn more about Enhancing Employee Experience >

Governance Structure

The Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Council composed of managers from corporate functions and business divisions, convenes biannually to review and guide our D&I measures. 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 2025

Targets and Progress

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

*1 As of March 31.

*2 Directly hired employees only. Excluding those working at consolidated subsidiaries with 100 or fewer employees in Japan.

*3 New graduate and post-graduate hires who joined LIXIL Corporation on April 1, 2025.