Soka University’s Faculty of Economics won the ‘Breakout Prize’ at the 2025 ISFJ Policy Forum for their proposal on promoting women’s participation in the workforce through enhanced paternity leave for men.

On December 13 and 14, 2025, at the Japan Policy Student Conference (ISFJ), held at Meiji University, the Nobuyuki Kanazawa Seminar from Soka University’s Faculty of Economics secured the esteemed Breakout Prize, the highest accolade in their subcommittee. The award was announced in a press release by Soka University.

The ISFJ aims to foster a better society through student-created policy proposals, with participation from 116 teams across 25 universities nationwide. After a thorough review by experts, awards were presented to teams whose work was deemed outstanding.

The Kanazawa Seminar, which took part in the Labor and Employment subcommittee, delivered a compelling presentation focused on “Promoting Women’s Participation – Considering the Paternity Leave System for Men.” Their research highlighted the imbalance in domestic responsibilities that impede women’s career advancement. Through empirical analysis and interviews, they examined how the paternity leave system could positively affect men’s involvement in childcare and housework.

Based on their findings, the team advocated for the promotion of paternity leave for men as a means to foster an environment where women can succeed professionally. Their rigorous research and innovative proposals received high praise from the panel of experts.

A member of the winning team remarked, “It was challenging to coordinate discussions around our various commitments, but we succeeded by leveraging each member’s strengths. We aspire for our research to enhance women’s participation in society.”

The achievement of the Kanazawa Seminar underscores the proactive role that students can play in addressing critical social issues, affirming their commitment to making significant contributions to policy development.